Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif was momentarily caught off guard on Monday when US President Donald Trump, while looking at his direction at the Gaza Peace Summit, suddenly praised India, leaving him smiling awkwardly.
“India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top [referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi] and he's just done a fantastic job. I think Pakistan and India are going to live very nicely together,” Trump said, prompting a brief smile from the Pakistani Prime Minister standing behind him.
The unusual moment came before Trump unexpectedly invited Sharif to address the summit. Turning to him mid-speech, Trump asked: “Do you want to say something?” and urged him to “say what you said to me the other day.”
Sharif then delivered a five-minute address in which he strongly commended Trump’s diplomatic efforts. Referring to Trump as a “man of peace,” Sharif declared, “I would say this is one of the greatest days in contemporary history, because peace has been achieved after untiring efforts. Efforts led by President Trump, who is genuinely a man of peace, who had relentlessly and untiringly worked throughout these months to make this world a place to live in peace and prosperity.”
The Pakistani Prime Minister went on to announce that his government had officially recommended Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize and credited Trump for stopping 'war between India and Pakistan'. “Again, I would like to nominate this great President for the Nobel Peace Prize, because I genuinely feel he is the most genuine and most wonderful candidate for the Peace Prize,” he said. He credited Trump with helping prevent a dangerous escalation between Islamabad and New Delhi, noting, “Had it not been for this gentleman, who knows, India and Pakistan are both nuclear powers, had he not intervened with his wonderful team during those four days, the war could’ve escalated to a level... and who would’ve lived to tell what happened.”
When Trump returned to the podium, he responded lightheartedly to Sharif’s glowing tribute: “Wow! I didn’t expect that. Let’s go home, there’s nothing more I have to say. Goodbye everybody. That was really beautiful and beautifully delivered, thank you very much.”
Later in the summit, Trump once again mentioned his rapport with India's PM Modi, saying, “India is a great country with a good friend of mine at the top. He’s done a fantastic job.” Sharif’s earlier remarks had focused on praising Trump’s role in reducing tensions in conflict regions and contributing to a ceasefire in the Middle East, calling the summit a milestone for global peace.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
