Experts call for leveraging renewed international interest in Kashmir dispute

Islamabad: Former ambassador Masood Khalid has stated that the recent exchange of strikes between Pakistan and India renewed international attention on longstanding regional disputes.

Mr Khalid was addressing a discussion on “The pursuit of truth: competing narratives in post-Pahalgam” jointly organised here by Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) and Policy East (PE).

The speaker emphasised that Pakistan should capitalise on this renewed interest, especially from the US, to resolve the Kashmir dispute. He also acknowledged the media's role stating that Pakistan's strategic communication effectively dismantled India's narrative and exposed its weaknesses.

Air Marshal (r) Javaid Ahmed, President, Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS), presented a technical assessment of the conflict's operational aspects. He cautioned against normalising the crisis and emphasised the need to maintain and consistently follow through with the narrative.

Rear Admiral (r) Faisal Shah highlighted India's operational miscalculations and commended Pakistan's strong response, which upheld strategic redlines of no internal interference, prevention of repeat incidents and adherence to existing agreements.

Dr Taimur Shamil, Executive Director, Policy East, highlighted the increasingly transnational nature of information conflicts and the imperative for Pakistani institutions to develop robust international partnerships with other global institutions.

Journalists Umar Khalid Butt (PTV) and Haitham Naser (TRT) offered firsthand insights on narrative development and dissemination. Their critique of current institutions and advocacy for better media think-tank collaboration generated lively debate among the professors, analysts and policy researchers present during the question hour.

In his opening remarks, IRS President Jauhar Saleem highlighted Pakistan's effective and principled diplomatic response which countered misleading narratives and exposed India's domestic political motivations for escalating the crisis. On narrative building, he underscored the importance of a comprehensive strategy adding that, the narrative should not be constructed in isolation, but rather through a holistic approach, incorporating diverse perspectives and insights, drawing from strategic considerations and societal input. He argued that by embracing this comprehensive approach, the resulting narrative would be more impactful.