Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan nominated for Nobel Peace Prize again despite jail term

Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan currently imprisoned on multiple charges, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for the second time. The Pakistan World Alliance (PWA), an advocacy group affiliated with Norway’s Partiet Sentrum political party, announced the nomination on March 31, citing Khan’s contributions to human rights and democracy in Pakistan.

“We are pleased to announce on behalf of Partiet Sentrum that, in alliance with an eligible nominator, we have nominated Imran Khan for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in human rights and democracy in Pakistan,” Partiet Sentrum stated on the social media platform X.

Khan was first nominated for the prestigious award in 2019 following his decision to release Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. The pilot was captured in February 2019 when his jet was shot down during an aerial clash between India and Pakistan after the Balakot airstrikes. A resolution submitted to Pakistan’s Parliament at the time argued that Khan’s actions helped de-escalate tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

Despite the nomination, Khan dismissed his worthiness for the prize, stating on X, “The person worthy of this would be the one who solves the Kashmir dispute according to the wishes of the Kashmiri people and paves the way for peace and human development in the subcontinent.”

The founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is serving multiple jail terms after being convicted in various cases, including corruption and misuse of authority. Since mid-2023, he has been held at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. His party has conflicted with Pakistan’s federal government following the disputed general elections in February 2024, which led to repeated protests across the country.

In January 2025, Khan was sentenced to 14 years in prison in a case related to corruption. However, some of his convictions—concerning the selling of state gifts, leaking state secrets, and unlawful marriage—have been overturned or suspended by courts.

Each year, thousands of nominations are submitted to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which undergoes an extensive eight-month selection process to determine the final recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.