With guns silenced and negotiations to hold the truce resuming behind closed doors, the Government of Pakistan has scrambled “special envoys” to maximize its narrative after recent military gains.
Prior to India’s strikes, western media was clear that while it had yet to see any evidence of Delhi’s allegations regarding the Pahalgam attack, it was unwilling to let Pakistan divest itself of its troubled past. Why is it that a world that acknowledges a former Al Qaeda militant as the new Syrian president, or is willing to accept the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan, continues to accost Pakistan for being in the backdrop of Osama bin Laden’s endgame?
Unfortunately, the buck stops at our political elite, who disastrously dropped the ball with cringe-worthy utterances of self-styled “spokespersons.” The conflict brought into sharp focus the lack of a persuasive political ideology to offer the world while our brave jawans faced an unrelenting Indian barrage. It wasn’t until the ISPR took center-stage and guided the narrative in a cool, calm and highly professional manner that Pakistan was able to stamp its massive military gains on the nation’s psyche, as well as grab global media attention.
With the world now increasingly questioning India’s account, it is time for Pakistan to step up and demand a voice at the table. But nothing will be handed on a platter. Pakistan must move beyond an image shaped by terrorism, clawing back space within the global media. Its messaging must be forward-looking, fresh and replete with the hope of a young nation, highlighting the country’s soft power and its vibrant cultural and artistic diversity.
Achieving this requires the government to empower and support cultural ambassadors tasked with spreading awareness of Pakistan’s vibrant culture. Individuals already spreading the good word must receive official support and recognition. The country has a thriving industry of notable endeavors such as literary festivals, artistic spaces and indigenous crafts that can be further encouraged and institutionalized with government backing. If a beverage company can make Coke Studio Pakistan a global phenomenon, celebrating our music, and a bank can light up stadiums by bankrolling domestic cricket, what else can we achieve by highlighting our other cultural accomplishments?
Pakistan’s image must be carefully cultivated for a global audience, but not at the hands of lame duck legislators best restricted to their parliamentary chambers. The nation’s jagged edges must be smoothed over in good conscience, recognizing that there is no nation on the planet that doesn’t have a few dark chapters in its history.
It’s in the telling of the story that a storyteller’s skill is revealed. If the recounting of wartime tactics at a media presser can ignite a nation’s imagination, then let us pass the baton on to our creative vanguard and turn the story around once and for all.