Nobel Institute dismisses Imran Khan’s nomination for prestigious award

The Nobel Institute dismissed reports of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize by Norway's Centre Party, calling it a political maneuver aimed at gaining votes from the Pakistani community ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections.

On March 28, PTI claimed that former Prime Minister Imran Khan had been nominated for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, citing an announcement by the Pakistan World Alliance (PWA).

The nomination had been put forward by the Norwegian Center Party (Partiet Sentrum).

In a video statement, a PWA representative elaborated on the nomination, saying, "We are pleased to announce, on behalf of Partiet Sentrum, that in alliance with an individual eligible to nominate candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize, we have nominated Mr Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, for his contributions to human rights and democracy in Pakistan. I wish him all the best."

Read: PTI says Imran Khan nominated for Nobel Prize - does it hold any significance?

However, as the news gained traction on social media and was picked up by international media outlets, Nobel Institute Director Kristian Berg-Harpviken addressed the matter in an article published in a Norwegian newspaper.

In an article published on the Norwegian news website NRK, Berg Harpviken criticised Partiet Sentrum's nomination promise, stating that this was the first time a political leader had used a Nobel Prize nomination in a way that harmed the prize’s prestige.

“What is happening here is probably that Lippestad strongly wants a seat in the Storting. And he wants to secure as many votes as possible in the Norwegian-Pakistani community,” Nobel Institute Director Kristian Berg Harpviken was quoted as saying. 

It is worth noting that Imran Khan was previously nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 for his efforts in promoting peace in South Asia.