Najam Sethi says it's time to nominate Field Marshal Asim for the Nobel Peace Prize

Could Pakistan's leadership be in the running for a Nobel Peace Prize?

Veteran journalist Najam Sethi certainly thinks it's a possibility.

Speaking to Indian journalist Karan Thapar on The Wire, Sethi argued that Pakistan's role in brokering the recently announced Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between Iran and the United States was significant enough to warrant global recognition.

The conversation took an unexpected turn when Thapar asked whether Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir could even be considered for the Nobel Peace Prize, alongside Qatar's leadership.

Sethi didn't hesitate.

"It has been an extraordinary season of war and peace in the Middle East, and we have arrived at it solely because of three people, the Prime Minister, Field Marshal and Foreign Minister of Pakistan… all of whom have been acknowledged by name by Iranians and at least two by the Americans… so yes, this calls for it!" he said.

He singled out Field Marshal Asim Munir as the driving force behind the negotiations.

"Field Marshal is a man who 1. Takes risks, 2. Takes quick decisions, which is very rare in such situations, he has been very prominent and the driving force behind it, which is why his name comes even before the Prime Minister's," Sethi said.

He added that the military chief's assurances carried exceptional weight during the process.

"His word matters and he is the one giving the guarantees."

Sethi also argued that Pakistan's diplomatic standing had changed dramatically following the May 2025 conflict with India.

"Pakistan has established itself after the May conflict with India as a military power, with nuclear weapons as well," he said.

According to Sethi, that credibility helped Pakistan step into negotiations that few countries were willing to touch.

"On top of that as a negotiator, when no one was willing to step into these muddy waters, Pakistan acted with haste and took the risks, with great courage," he added.

While Sethi believes Pakistan's leadership deserves Nobel-level recognition, any actual nomination would have to be submitted through the Nobel Peace Prize's formal nomination process and evaluated independently by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.