New Delhi: Major media outlets, worldwide, report Wednesday on the Indian air strike against Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camps in Pakistan on Tuesday, careful to balance the versions of the two neighbouring countries and stress their nuclear weapon status.
On Wednesday, Pakistan responded with incursions into Indian airspace.
‘Profoundly embarrassing’
The Washington Post describes the tension between India and Pakistan in its headline, “India and Pakistan resort to the diplomacy of violence — and flirt with catastrophe.” Its opening sentence says, “This week, the world could see a de-escalation of nuclear tensions between the United States and North Korea. But almost at the same time, two other nuclear powers are engaging in hostilities.”
The Post recalls that US forces had also earlier entered Pakistan in order to take out Osama bin Laden. Post writes, “If the Indian account does turn out to be true, it is profoundly embarrassing for the Pakistani military…Some Pakistani commentators have already questioned what the Pakistani military was doing if it couldn’t defend Pakistan’s borders from foreign intrusion…”
The New York Times thinks that there is room for de-escalation between the two sides. It opens with the headline “After India’s Strike on Pakistan, Both Sides Leave Room for De-escalation.”
“For the first time in five decades, Indian warplanes crossed into Pakistan and conducted airstrikes on Tuesday. But in the jarring escalation of hostilities, the leadership of each nuclear-armed country also appeared to leave itself a way out of pushing the conflict into war,” says the NYT.
It contrasts the response in the two countries to India’s airstrike:
“(In) India, where election-year nationalism is fueling waves of anger over the militant attack in Kashmir… the story line was of righteous vengeance accomplished.”
“But in Pakistan, where the domestic tone has been one of fatigue over enduring economic crisis and political ennui, the country’s military command insisted that India’s air incursion had achieved nothing.”
NYT also refers to “two western security officials” who said that “any militant training areas at the site… had long since dispersed,” from Balakot.
Also read: Those who ‘commit, incite, support’ terror must be held accountable: India, China & Russia
‘Surprise’
The Guardian, the British daily, in its online edition mentions that Pakistan is ready to strike back India: “‘Get ready for our surprise’: Pakistan warns India it will respond to airstrikes.”
It also quotes Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s statement over Indian aircraft violating Pakistani airspace. Khan said, “This action has been done for domestic consumption in the election environment, putting regional peace and stability at grave risk.”
In an analysis piece, “India’s airstrike is more posturing than prelude to war,” Simon Tisdall writes, “Rationally speaking, neither country’s prime minister can afford another full-scale conflict — Pakistan’s Imran Khan because he is still getting started after winning power for the first time last July, India’s Narendra Modi because he is seeking a second chance in national polls this spring.”
The Telegraph of London writes, “Indian planes bomb Pakistan as Kashmir tensions escalate.” It is careful to note that “both sides’’ said India conducted an airstrike inside Pakistan as military as “tensions between the nuclear arch rivals escalated dramatically…”
It quotes Reuters to say that villagers saw little damage after the airstrike but adds that “one local police official who declined to be named told the Telegraph” that the strike had taken place at Jabba, near Balakot.
Pakistan ban on Bollywood
The Chinese Communist party mouthpiece The People’s Daily balances the two countries in its headline, “Pakistan confirms Indian jets cross Loc, rejects casualties” but the report is interesting in that it quotes extensively from the Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistani officials but gives the Indian position two small paragraphs.
The UAE based newspaper, The Gulf Today, tilts towards Pakistan with its headline, “Pakistan denies Indian attack on ‘terror camp’” but plays safe by using Reuters copy on the airstrike.
The Russian media outlet RT carries an interesting report on “No Indian movie will be released: Pakistan bans Bollywood films and ads after air raid’’. It writes the move comes from Pakistan’s information and broadcasting minister Fawad Chaudhry who announced on Twitter that “all Indian-made films and advertisements to be embargoed, following the country’s air strike inside its territory on Tuesday,” writes RT.
Also read: Why air strikes on Pakistan may not help Narendra Modi win the election