For the second time, Imran Khan, the imprisoned former prime minister of Pakistan, has received a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. Members of the Pakistan World Alliance (PWA), an advocacy organization established in December of last year, announced Khan’s nomination this year in recognition of his efforts to promote democracy and human rights in the neighboring nation.
“We are happy to announce on behalf of Partiet Sentrum that we have nominated Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work with democracy and human rights in Pakistan, in collaboration with someone who has the authority to nominate,” the party said on X. Khan’s nomination was revealed on Monday by the Norwegian political party Partyt Sentrum’s advocacy group, PWA.
For his alleged attempts to defuse tensions with India, Khan was nominated for the coveted prize back in 2019, and the Pakistani Parliament passed a resolution endorsing him. According to the resolution, Khan defused tensions between Pakistan and India by deciding to free Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who had been detained in February 2019 after his plane was shot down within Pakistani territory during the Balakot airstrikes.
“The person worthy of this would be the one who solves the Kashmir dispute according to the wishes of the Kashmiri people and paves the way for peace & human development in the subcontinent,” Khan wrote on X, claiming he was not deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Due to convictions in numerous instances, the founder and former leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is currently serving various jail sentences. Since the middle of 2023, Khan has been detained at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. Since the general elections in February 2024, the PTI and the federal government have been at odds, and protests have broken out around the nation on several occasions.
In a case involving corruption and abuse of power, Khan was given a 14-year prison term in January of this year.
Three convictions for selling state gifts, disclosing state secrets, and engaging in an illegal marriage were reversed or suspended by the courts out of the numerous cases in which Khan became involved.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee receives countless nominations and chooses the winner after a drawn-out eight-month procedure.
