Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, currently imprisoned on corruption charges, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his struggle for human rights and democracy. The nomination was announced by members of the Pakistan World Alliance (PWA), an advocacy group established last December with connections to Norway's political party Partiet Sentrum.
Partiet Sentrum confirmed the nomination on Sunday through a post on social media platform X, stating: "We are pleased to announce that, in coalition with an individual holding nomination rights, former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on human rights and democracy in Pakistan."
This marks Khan's second Nobel nomination, following a previous nomination in 2019 for his efforts to promote peace in South Asia. According to The Express Tribune, the Norwegian Nobel Committee receives hundreds of nominations annually, followed by an eight-month selection process to determine the winner.
Khan, founder of Pakistan's main opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has been imprisoned since August 2023 on multiple corruption charges. In January this year, he received a 14-year jail sentence for abuse of power and corruption, marking the fourth major case in which the former prime minister has been convicted.
Courts have either overturned or suspended sentences in three other cases related to selling government gifts, leaking state secrets, and illegal marriage. Khan was removed from power in April 2022 after losing a no-confidence vote. He denies all charges against him, claiming the cases are politically motivated.