Islamabad, March 4: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday responded to the growing demand in his nation seeking the Nobel Peace Prize for him for de-escalating the tensions with India. Khan said he is "not a worthy" recipient of the honour, adding that it should be conferred upon the one who could resolve the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the political will of Kashmiris.

"I am not worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. 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," Khan said. Jammu And Kashmir an Internal Matter: India on Pakistan's Resolution at OIC.

Supporters of the Pakistan PM have, on social media, launched a campaign seeking nobel peace prize for Khan ever since he decided to release captured Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as a "gesture of peace".

The online trend, #ImranKhanForNobelPeacePrize, gained traction to an extent where the Pakistan Parliament passed a resolution to nominate Khan for the prestigious honour.

Shortly, however, the Prime Minister took to social media to eject himself out of the nobel laureate race.

Here's what Imran Khan tweeted:

Even as Khan's popularity has peaked in Pakistan following the IAF pilot's release - with over 3,00,000 Pakistanis signing an online petition seeking the Nobel Peace Prize for him - the country's Opposition has expressed its apprehensions.

The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) said the nation should introspect on whether the timing of IAF Wing Commander's release was accurate. The party has further warned the Imran Khan regime to remain cautious as the Indo-Pak tensions have not "completely de-escalated".

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 04, 2019 05:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).