The Norwegian political party, Partiet Sentrum, has come under fire after nominating former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan for the Nobel Peace Prize. The party made the announcement on X, stating that it, in collaboration with a nominator who has the right to propose candidates, had put forward Khan for his contributions to human rights and democracy in Pakistan. However, the party did not reveal the identity of the intermediary involved in the nomination.

The nomination has sparked criticism, with accusations that the party is leveraging the Nobel Peace Prize nomination to gain votes. Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of the Nobel Institute, speculated that Geir Lippestad, leader of Partiet Sentrum, is seeking to secure support from the Norwegian-Pakistani community in his bid for a seat in the Storting. There has been no official response from the Oslo-based Nobel Prize Committee regarding the party’s announcement. Khan had also been nominated for the Peace Prize in 2019 for his efforts to promote peace in South Asia.

Each year, the Norwegian Nobel Committee receives hundreds of nominations, which are reviewed over an extensive eight-month process. This year, the nomination period ended on January 31, and the committee registered 338 candidates for the 2025 Peace Prize, including 244 individuals and 94 organizations. However, the committee does not disclose the names of nominators or nominees. Khan, who was ousted from office in April 2022 after a no-confidence vote, denies all charges against him, asserting that they are politically motivated. The government, however, denies these claims.