We may have some idea of how US President Trump would have felt when he first learned who was awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. After all, he had so passionately wanted this prize for himself.
Now, with Navi Pillay, a South African lawyer and international judge, as the recipient of the 2026 prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s decision is likely to be seen as an implicit rebuke of the American president and other world leaders. In any case, some reports have noted that this choice carries “distinct political undertones”.
It is significant that Navi Pillay had led a United Nations Commission last year that said that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, a finding that the Israeli government rejected.
Consider this: just hours after the Nobel committee awarded Navi Pillay its annual honour, the Trump administration announced it was imposing severe financial sanctions on the International Criminal Court. Navi Pillay is a former judge of this court that seeks to prosecute those accused of war crimes, genocide and other numerous criminal acts. The US has openly been wanting to cripple this global body.
Navi Pillay concluded her brief news conference in Nuremberg, Germany, where she received the news, with a reminder to any heads of state that might be listening: “My message to political leaders is that you are under legal obligation. You have a legal obligation to protect human rights and refrain from war”.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee said the international legal system was under tremendous pressure, and a shift towards ‘power politics’ was coming at the expense of global respect for law and justice. In awarding this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, the committee “wants to remind the world that rule of law – national and international – underpins the system we have set up to ensure peace and resolve conflicts non-violently”. In its statement, the committee said: “Peace requires justice”.
But the global situation in the context of peace and justice, as the Nobel committee has noted, is exceptionally disturbing in the present circumstances. So many countries are in a state of turmoil. We, in Pakistan, are engaged in a lethal political conflict with the protest that was launched by the party of former prime minister Imran Khan, and there is always a chance that it could get out of hand. At the same time, there is an increase in acts of terrorism, particularly in areas that are also politically disturbed.
There is ample uncertainty about the future course of the long march, which was initially meant to reach Islamabad. This week, it has covered some distance within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the province where the PTI is in power.
Late Friday, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi invited people from across Pakistan to the Swabi Interchange on Sunday, where the PTI will reportedly announce its next plans regarding the long march’s route and destination. This plan has undergone many changes since last Sunday.
More meaningful, from the perspective of a nation’s sense of direction, are the campaigns dominating this week in countries like France, Spain and our South Asian neighbour, India. I am particularly interested in the ability of youth – Gen Z, if you like – to either overthrow a regime or bring about a measure of social change.
Actually, the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize and its significance from the point of view of the global polarisation on the issue of justice for Palestinians and accountability for Israel’s genocide in Gaza has partially shifted my attention from this phenomenon of the revolt of the students.
Additionally, we have to contend with this question of why Pakistan is the only country in South Asia where Gen Z has not mobilised itself to present its own manifesto for change. Is this another indication of how broken and intellectually impoverished Pakistani society is?
We have the example of India’s Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which mainly represents students, first proving its strength in a movement against corruption in the education system. This weekend, the students led by CJP and various left-wing groups are agitating against the removal of 130 million names from voters’ lists and alleged election irregularities. Their main demand is the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. What is crucial is that this protest has shaken the Modi government.
Our Gen-Z has similar, and perhaps more severe, grievances against the system that affect their own future, but they have not made their presence felt in any positive initiative. They are unable to fight for their own rights. This is so even when we have a more pronounced youth bulge. Whatever the reasons for this apathy and inaction among our college and university students, a steady decline in our human and social development is becoming our destiny.
So far as the power of the students is concerned, the world is virtually bewildered by the current disorder in France. An upheaval that has gripped the entire country was really initiated with a protest over public school funding. Surprisingly, school students have, in a sense, led a massive protest that has raised questions about the future of France. Commentators are wondering if this violent agitation will shape the national elections to be held next year.
This week, hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets and clashes with the police have caused injuries to a large number of teenagers as well as police officials. More than 6,000 people have been arrested and most of them are legally minors. All schools and colleges remain closed throughout the country.
What I am trying to say is that students in a vibrant and liberal society can become a force to be reckoned with. In France, they can be aggressive in demanding better education in high schools and higher salaries for teachers. What do our students want?
The writer is a senior journalist. He can be reached at: [email protected]
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed in this piece are the writer’s own and don’t necessarily reflect Geo.tv’s editorial policy.
Originally published in The News
2026-10-11 09:29:00
