Ritter endorses Pakistan for Nobel Prize

ISLAMABAD: Former United Nations weapons inspector and former US Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter has praised Pakistan’s diplomatic role in the current regional tensions, saying Islamabad remains central to efforts aimed at achieving a breakthrough between Iran and the United States.

Speaking during senior anchorperson Fahd Hussain’s programme Full Frame on Express 24/7, Ritter said Pakistan was uniquely placed to help move the crisis towards a final settlement. "I, first of all, want to commend Pakistan for the leadership that it has played in this," Ritter said.

He said Pakistan’s leadership should receive international recognition for its mediation efforts linked to the ongoing situation.

"If there ever was somebody who deserved the Nobel Peace Prize, the Pakistani leadership that has played this very essential role deserves this," he remarked.

Comments on Pakistan’s diplomatic role

Ritter described Pakistan as "the only game in town" capable of helping bring the crisis to a final resolution. His remarks came during a discussion on regional tensions and diplomatic efforts involving Iran and the United States.

Ritter also urged the international community to extend economic and political support to Pakistan following the conflict.

Ritter’s background

Ritter has served as a UN weapons inspector in Iraq during the 1990s. He is also a former intelligence officer in the US Marine Corps and frequently comments on US foreign policy and developments in the Middle East.

His latest remarks add to the attention Pakistan has received over its diplomatic engagement during the ongoing regional crisis. In his comments on the programme, Ritter presented Pakistan’s role as central to mediation efforts and said its leadership had played an essential part in attempts to ease tensions.

Ritter’s intervention focused on Pakistan’s place in efforts to secure progress between Tehran and Washington, while also calling for broader international backing for Islamabad in the aftermath of the conflict.

During the programme, his comments underscored what he described as Pakistan’s leadership in the matter and its importance in any effort to move the situation towards a negotiated outcome.