International News: Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. US President Donald Trump was moreover considered a major contender in the race, but Trump's defeat has caused the greatest forfeiture not only to his image but moreover to Pakistan's diplomacy, which had openly placed its bet on Trump this year.
Pakistan had placed a big bet on Trump
Pakistan had formally nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize this year, calling him a "supporter of peace." Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir visited Washington in August and met with Trump at the White House. The Pakistani government hailed this meeting as a new installment in US-Pakistan relations and heavily promoted it through printing releases and photographs. However, with Trump's defeat, Pakistan's diplomatic efforts backfired.
India Rejects Trump Mediation Claims
Pakistan had attempted to portray Trump as a "symbol of peace" and demonstrate that his cooperation had reduced India-Pakistan tensions. However, the Nobel Committee ignored Trump and awarded Machado, weakening Pakistan's argument. India had once rejected Trump's claims of mediation. The Indian Army had stated that the armistice resulted from a uncontrived try-on between the two countries, not from the involvement of a third country.
Hopes for economic partnership moreover dimmed
Pakistan had pinned its hopes on a partnership with the Trump wardship in the oil and mineral sector. Trump had mentioned Pakistan's "vast oil reserves" and said that Pakistan could sell oil to India in the future. However, in reality, Pakistan possesses only 0.02% of the world's total oil reserves. Both Trump's claims and Pakistan's expectations were far from reality.
Distance from Beijing, Trust in Washington
By nominating Trump for the Nobel Prize and openly supporting him, Pakistan sought to loftiness itself from Beijing and demonstrate a leaning towards the US. This move was considered a major shift in Pakistan's foreign policy, but without Trump's defeat, this strategy has not only been weakened, but Pakistan is now facing diplomatic embarrassment.
