'Who would've lived to know what happened': Shehbaz Sharif credits Trump for India-Pak truce, backs his Nobel Peace Prize bid

US President Trump suddenly turned to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and asked, "Do you want to say something" (Image: Screengrab from Fox News/YouTube)

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday claimed that a potential conflict between 'two nuclear powers, India and Pakistan', was averted due to the intervention of former US President Donald Trump. Speaking at the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit on Gaza after being unexpectedly invited to the stage by Trump, Sharif said the former US President had prevented a dangerous escalation in South Asia and deserved global recognition for peace efforts.

During the live session, Trump paused his own address to call Sharif to the podium, asking him, "Do you want to say something" and urging him to "say what you said to me the other day." What followed was a five-minute tribute from the Pakistani leader.

Sharif praised Trump as a “man of peace” and said, “Suffice to say, 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.” He added that Trump’s diplomacy had saved “millions of people” in South Asia.

The Pakistani Prime Minister said, “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, day in and day out, to make this world a place to live in peace and prosperity.”

Sharif also reiterated that Pakistan had officially put forward Trump’s name for international recognition, saying, “Pakistan had nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his ‘outstanding, extraordinary contributions to first, stop war between India and Pakistan and then achieve a ceasefire, along with his very wonderful team.’” He repeated the endorsement, saying, “Again, I would like to nominate this great president for the Nobel Peace Prize… he has brought not only peace in South Asia -- saved millions of people, their lives -- and today, achieving peace in Gaza [and] saving, millions of lives in the Middle East.”

Earlier, Trump introduced Sharif and even referred to him warmly along with his “favourite field marshal from Pakistan” before handing him the microphone. The summit in Egypt brought together world leaders to discuss the ceasefire in Gaza and broader peace initiatives.

Rounding off the unexpected exchange, Trump returned to the podium and quipped, “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.”

Sharif went on to call Trump “the man the world needed most at this point in time,” claiming he had “stopped seven, now eight, wars,” including conflicts in South Asia and the Middle East as well as India-Pakistan conflict in May this year. The rare public acknowledgment of US involvement in diffusing an India-Pakistan crisis drew international attention, particularly given the mention of nuclear escalation.