Media in Pakistan divided over motive behind attack

ISLAMABAD: While officials in the Pakistani establishment condemned the attack on the air base in Pathankot, members in the media were divided over the attack with some sceptical of the reports coming in from the ground where security forces engaged militants.

Analysts appearing on Pakistani television news shows initially wondered how the incident would affect the move to normalise relations between the two countries.

In his comments on Express TV, a prominent news channel, analyst Ayaz Khan said, “It may be a move to stop the normalisation of relations as there are certain forces that are in favour of a consistent confrontational stance between the two countries.” This point was also taken up by Zarar Khuhro, another analyst, who said the attacks fit a pattern that has emerged over the years.

Some TV channels and media houses of Pakistan, however, took a different line. The country’s top news channel, Geo News, questioned the attack and showed clips from Indian TV channels that interviewed Pathankot residents who claimed that they had been asked to close their shops earlier than usual on Friday night, giving the impression that the attack was, in fact, planned by the Indian authorities.

“There has been news in the past that RAW will conduct attacks within India and blame it on Pakistan and this is what we have seen happening,” a commentator on Geo TV said.