JournalismPakistan.com | Published April 30, 2025 at 04:44 pm | JP Staff Report
Join our WhatsApp channelISLAMABAD-In the wake of the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, Dawn on Wednesday urged the Indian media to halt its warmongering and anti-Pakistan rhetoric, and instead adopt a more rational and responsible stance.
The editorial titled "Info Wars" criticized the Indian media for openly advocating war with Pakistan, while also condemning the Indian government’s move to ban 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including prominent platforms such as Dawn News, ARY News, and Geo News.
Dawn termed the justification behind the bans as “laughable,” especially given the inflammatory and hate-filled anti-Pakistan and anti-Muslim content routinely aired by mainstream Indian media outlets. “The hypocrisy is glaring,” the editorial said.
The newspaper also expressed concern over New Delhi's broader policy of cultural and social isolation, such as blocking Pakistani social media accounts and enforcing unofficial boycotts of Pakistani sports and entertainment.
“Tragically, the Indian state—supported by segments of its media and civil society—seems to be manufacturing a climate conducive to war,” the editorial observed. It acknowledged that jingoistic voices exist in Pakistan as well, but emphasized that due to the sheer size and influence of Indian media, such narratives can easily sway public opinion across the country.
Dawn noted that India has yet to produce conclusive evidence linking Pakistan to the Pahalgam attack. “Perhaps that is why Indian authorities are eager to silence Pakistani narratives—to prevent their own citizens from accessing alternative perspectives and questioning the official version of events in held Kashmir,” the editorial concluded.
اسلام آباد- پاہلگام میں حالیہ دہشت گرد حملے، جس میں 26 افراد جان سے گئے، کے بعد بدھ کے روز ڈان اخبار نے بھارتی میڈیا سے اپیل کی ہے کہ وہ جنگی جنون کو فروغ دینا بند کرے اور پاکستان و مسلمانوں کے خلاف نفرت انگیز پروپیگنڈے سے گریز کرے۔
اپنے اداریے "انفو وارز" میں ڈان نے بھارتی میڈیا کی جانب سے پاکستان کے ساتھ جنگ کی کھلی حمایت پر شدید تنقید کی اور بھارتی حکومت کی جانب سے 16 پاکستانی یوٹیوب چینلز پر پابندی، جن میں ڈان نیوز، اے آر وائی نیوز، اور جیو نیوز جیسے بڑے نیٹ ورکس شامل ہیں، کی مذمت کی۔
اخبار نے بھارتی حکومت کے اس اقدام کو "مضحکہ خیز" قرار دیا، خاص طور پر جب خود بھارتی میڈیا میں پاکستان اور مسلمانوں کے خلاف اشتعال انگیز مواد عام ہے۔ اداریے میں کہا گیا کہ "یہ دوہرا معیار واضح طور پر منافقت کا مظہر ہے۔"
ڈان نے بھارتی حکومت کی جانب سے پاکستانی سوشل میڈیا اکاؤنٹس کو بلاک کرنے اور پاکستانی ثقافت اور کھیلوں کے غیر سرکاری بائیکاٹ پر بھی افسوس کا اظہار کیا۔
اداریے کے مطابق: "بدقسمتی سے ایسا لگتا ہے کہ بھارتی ریاست، اس کے کچھ میڈیا ادارے اور سول سوسائٹی جنگ کے ماحول کو جنم دے رہے ہیں۔" اخبار نے اعتراف کیا کہ پاکستان میں بھی بعض شدت پسند آوازیں موجود ہیں، لیکن بھارتی میڈیا کی وسعت اور اثر و رسوخ کے باعث یہ بیانیہ بھارتی عوام کو بہت آسانی سے متاثر کر سکتا ہے۔
ڈان نے مزید کہا کہ بھارت اب تک پاہلگام حملے میں پاکستان کے ملوث ہونے کے کوئی ٹھوس شواہد پیش نہیں کر سکا۔ "شاید اسی لیے وہ پاکستانی آوازوں کو دبانا چاہتا ہے تاکہ بھارتی عوام کو متبادل نقطہ نظر نہ سننے دیے جائیں اور وہ اپنی حکومت سے سوال نہ کریں کہ مقبوضہ کشمیر کے اس خوبصورت سیاحتی مقام پر اصل میں ہوا کیا۔"
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