Shehbaz Sharif faces online ridicule for praising Trump at Gaza Summit

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has drawn widespread ridicule online after showering effusive praise on former US President Donald Trump during the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt, where he described Trump as “a man of peace” and even suggested he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize.

What was intended to be a serious discussion on Gaza’s future briefly turned into an awkward moment when Trump invited Sharif to repeat his earlier comments. The Pakistani leader obliged, delivering a five-minute speech lauding Trump as “the most genuine and the most wonderful candidate” for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Sharif said, “Today is one of the greatest days in contemporary history because peace has been achieved after untiring efforts led by President Trump, who is genuinely a man of peace.” He went on to credit Trump for preventing a nuclear war between India and Pakistan, declaring that “had it not been for this gentleman the war could’ve escalated to a level where no one would have lived to tell what happened.”

Trump, smiling broadly, responded, “Wow! I didn’t expect that. Let’s go home — there’s nothing more I have to say.”

While Trump appeared amused, the reaction on social media was far less forgiving. Pakistanis and international users alike criticized Sharif for what many described as “nauseating” and “embarrassing”.

Historian Ammar Ali Jan said “Shehbaz Sharif’s constant and needless flattery of Donald Trump is a source of embarrassment for Pakistanis across the world”. Social media user Waseem wrote, “Why are Pakistani politicians such lucchas an Bootlickers? Shameless man Shehbaz Sharif... using the Palestinian struggle to score a few brownie points.”

Columnist S. L. Kanthan remarked, “Whenever Trump wants his shoes shine like never before, he invites Pakistan’s tiny Prime Minister. Have never seen so much cringe in geopolitics.”

Others echoed similar sentiments, with one user writing, “When it comes to bootlicking, no one can match Pakistan PM,” and another adding, “Feeling ashamed to have this man as PM... there’s a way to do this without losing your own dignity.”

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Hammad Azhar also criticized the Prime Minister’s conduct, saying, “I see tweets from all over the world taunting Pakistanis over their choice of leaders and their behavior on the international stage. Let me clarify the confusion; we Pakistanis did not elect this lot... The comical scenes and disgusting sycophancy you are witnessing... we are all as outraged and embarrassed as all of you.”

In the aftermath of the summit, Sharif became a target of memes and sarcastic posts, with “bootlicker” emerging as his new online moniker.

As one exasperated user summed up, “Pakistan can outshine the most skilled beggar.”