India-Pakistan conflict, Pakistan's narrative war: Pakistan "has taken revenge for the 1971 war"...
The most dangerous weapon in South Asia is not nuclear weapons, but narrative warfare.
Act Two: Sacred Defense
Three days later, Pakistan launched a counterattack. The operation "Yamam-Ul-Marsus" (Arabic for "Lead Wall") was officially announced. Just the name said it all. This was not just a retaliatory strike; it was a theological declaration, a nationwide sermon. The enemy had dared to intrude and would face a sacred response.
It was reported that Pakistan's missiles rained down on Indian military targets: brigade headquarters, S-400 air defense systems, as well as military installations in Punjab and Jammu. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared that Pakistan "had taken revenge for the 1971 war," in which Pakistan surrendered and allowed East Pakistan (Bangladesh) to secede.
Pakistani media amplified this narrative with patriotic fervor. India's attack was a war crime; mosques were hit, civilians were killed. Photos of rubble and blood were accompanied by captions about martyrdom.
Symmetry was also evident in constructing the image of the enemy and the victim.
India portrays Pakistan as a terror factory: hypocritical, rogue, nuclear-armed, and obsessed with jihad destruction. Pakistan's identity is degraded to the worst stereotypes: deceitful and dangerous. In this worldview, peace is impossible because the "other" is irrational.
Pakistan depicts India as a fascist state: led by a majoritarian regime, obsessed with humiliation, and eager to erase Muslims from history. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the aggressor. India is the occupier. Their attacks are not in the name of counter-terrorism but religious war.
Pakistan's constructed national identity at this moment is that of a righteous victim: we love peace but are provoked; we are restrained yet determined. We do not seek war, but we are not afraid of it.
This symmetry is incredible. Both countries see themselves as defenders, not aggressors. Both claim moral superiority. Both insist the enemy fired first. Both say they had no choice.
On May 13th, due to US-mediated ceasefire, the fire subsided. Both governments declared victory. Media continued reporting. Cricket matches resumed. Hashtags gradually disappeared.
But the stories each side tells now linger: we are right, they are wrong. We showed strength, they retreated.
Source: aljazeera
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833324328008707/
Disclaimer: The article solely represents the author's viewpoint.