Competing Narratives in the Information Battleground: The India-Pakistan Standoff
Controversy over Accuracy: India-Pakistan Disputes over Claimed Attacks
As tensions escalated between India and Pakistan in early May, a parallel war erupted – a battle for information control. In the midst of geopolitical brinksmanship, each nation has engaged in a bloodless conflict, waged via social media and official statements.
Competing Claims
From the outset of the escalation, both sides have released contradictory statements, amplifying them through online platforms to manipulate the narrative in their favor.
Targeted Sites
India alleges that its forces targeted "terrorist infrastructure" in nine sites. This action followed a deadly shooting attack on tourists in Pahalgam, India-administered Kashmir, blamed on Pakistani rebels. Pakistan, on the other hand, claims Indian forces bombarded six cities and a health center, resulting in the death of 31 civilians, including a three-year-old girl. Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh maintains that civilian casualties were not incurred, while Pakistan's Minister of Information and Broadcasting asserts that Indian forces fled both the investigation and the battlefield.
Aerial Engagements
Reports vary regarding airborne hostilities. Pakistan's military spokesperson reveals five Indian jets were downed within India's territory, with no planes from either side crossing the airspace border. Indian security sources claim that three fighter jets were downed within India-controlled territories, though the nationality of the planes remains unclear. The Indian embassy in China has dismissed claims of Indian jets being brought down, calling it disinformation.
Drone Incursions
Both nations have made accusations of drone incursions. Pakistan claims they downed 25 Israeli-made Herop drones and suffered civilian casualties, while India alleges Pakistani forces attempted to engage multiple targets using drones and missiles. However, neither side has responded to the other's claims.
Conflicting Accounts: A Longstanding Practice
The history of India and Pakistan is marked by conflicting claims that have muddied the truth and offered victories to domestic audiences. Previous incidents, such as the 2019 airstrike on Balakot, which India claimed wiped out a large number of JeM terrorists, were denied by Pakistan, who said the attack hit an uninhabited forest instead. In 2016, Pakistan rejected India's claims of surgical strikes on its territory, terming them an illusion.
Madiha Afzal, a scholar at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., emphasizes that the control of the narrative has been essential in the 77-year-old conflict between India and Pakistan. With the advent of easily accessible information and social media, however, controlling public perception becomes increasingly challenging. Nevertheless, Afzal notes that the local media generally follows the state's preferred narratives, enabling governments to rally public support in their favor.
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- The standoff between India and Pakistan in the war-and-conflicts sector has been marked by a parallel battle for information control, with each nation releasing contradictory statements and engaging in a bloodless conflict via social media and official statements.
- In the early May escalation, India alleged that its forces targeted terrorist infrastructure in nine sites, while Pakistan claimed Indian forces bombarded six cities and a health center, resulting in the death of 31 civilians, including a three-year-old girl.
- Reports vary regarding aerial engagements, with Pakistan's military spokesperson revealing five Indian jets were downed within India's territory, while Indian security sources claim that three fighter jets were downed within India-controlled territories.
- Both nations have made accusations of drone incursions, with Pakistan claiming they downed 25 Israeli-made Herop drones and suffered civilian casualties, while India alleges Pakistani forces attempted to engage multiple targets using drones and missiles.
- Scholar Madiha Afzal highlights that the control of the narrative has been essential in the 77-year-old conflict between India and Pakistan, but notes that with the advent of easily accessible information and social media, controlling public perception becomes increasingly challenging.
- Despite the proliferation of general-news sources and fundamental rights to health and life, conflicting accounts and counterclaims continue to dominate the narrative in the India-Pakistan standoff, offering victories to domestic audiences and complicating the search for peace and reconciliation.
