Indian media slammed for biased Kashmir reporting

Islamabad:The Indian media is biased in reporting the Kashmir issue, which shows its complicity with Hindutva hardliners, especially after the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A of the Indian constitution in the occupied Kashmir.

This was the opinion of speakers at the seminar ‘Post 5 August Reporting of Kashmir Issue with Special Reference to Indian Media’, which was organised by Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) Islamabad in collaboration with Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) and Riphah Institute of Media Sciences (RIMS).

The speakers insisted that media was supposed to be the watchdog of democracy but Indian newspapers and Tv channels were acting as the trumpet of the government. They said Indian media's irrational aggressive posture only fueled war hysteria and the failure to observe peaceful journalism could lead the region to catastrophic consequences.

The session was addressed as chief guest by Syed Fakhar Imam, chairman, Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir, and Ali Muhammad Khan, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs. It was chaired by Maj Gen (r) Sardar Muhamad Anwar Khan, former president and prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K).

The speakers included Dr. Farhan Mujahid Chak, Kashmiri-Canadian scholar and associate professor International Affairs at Qatar University, Sheikh Tajammul-ul-Islam, executive director, KMS, Dr Asma Shakir Khawaja, assistant professor, Faculty of Peace and Conflict Studies, National Defence University, Brig (r) Said Nazir, IPS associate, Farzana Yaqoob, former minister, AJK and IPS associate, Mohsin Raza Khan, journalist, Sardar Khan Niazi, editor, Pakistan and Vice-President, CPNE, Tariq Habib, and Rehman Azhar, correspondent. The opening remarks were delivered by Executive President of IPS, Khalid Rahman.

Syed Fakhar Imam opined that Pakistan has always stood behind Kashmir and will never leave the Kashmiris on their own in their freedom struggle against the occupation of India. He termed the Indian media’s coverage of the Kashmir issue a travesty of professional journalism.

Fakhar Imam also highlighted a shift in the way the international media is covering the Kashmir issue as it is not buying the Indian narrative. Minister Ali Muhammad Khan in his keynote speech deliberated on the negative role of the Indian media and said only a strong Pakistan can ensure resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

He also said we need to exploit the fault lines that exist within the Indian society. In his opinion, the youth, universities and media houses must understand their role and respond to the ongoing clampdown on Kashmiris by raising their voice.

"Not only the national media of India, but also the corporate-owned private media groups are reporting the situation in Kashmir with a partial approach, narrating only what fits the official policy, and ignoring the reality."

Sheikh Tajammul-ul-Islam who believed India was neither a democracy nor was its media free from state control. He said Indian media was master at propagating false information and fake news.

Dr. Farhan Chak said by fanning jingoism in India, the BJP-influenced media had the ability to jeopardise the regional peace by turning conflicts into war. "There is a need for deconstructing the lies being spread by India with regard to clampdown on IoK through transparency and upholding journalistic values, he said calling for challenging the dominant Indian narrative.

Executive President of IPS Khalid Rahman said media was one of the most important tools of hybrid war and the media in India was being used to spread false information about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

"There is a complete blackout in the held J&K following the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A of the Indian Constitution, but the Indian government is trying hard to project a picture of normalcy. This war-mongering attitude is not only confined to the government, as the war-crazy Indian media is also playing its role in fueling hatred against Pakistan," he said.

Dr Asma Khawaja said the people in India were living in a virtual information vacuum, and under the vacuum, they could project whatever they wanted. "They don’t focus on development, mutual interests, etc. They only focus on warmongering to facilitate the government’s warmongering, trying to influence public mindset," she said.

Farzana Yaqoob spoke about the effective use of media by India to spread false propaganda, stating that their news, films and social media try to portray even their defeats as victories. She said post annexation of the occupied Kashmir by India, Pakistanis on social media did a good job in making the issue trend on social media, upon which India got many of Pakistani social media accounts banned.

Sardar Khan Niazi said while Prime Minister Imran Khan’s speech at the UNGA left an impact, it was important to follow it through effective activism and by keeping the issue alive internationally.