In May, India’s Operation Sindoor and Pakistan’s Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos sparked a media-driven discursive warfare, where narratives overshadowed military actions. Indian media framed its strikes as moral responses to terrorism, constructing a narrative of national identity tied to righteousness, while Pakistan portrayed its retaliation as a divine defense, emphasizing victimhood. Both nations depicted the other as an existential threat, reinforcing stereotypes that hindered dialogue and diplomacy, ultimately making conflict appear necessary and justified.
