‘Freedom Fighter’ Strikes: How Pak Media Covered Pulwama Attack

Here is how Pakistani media reported on the Pulwama terror attack.

A CRPF convoy carrying 2,547 CRPF personnel was attacked on Thursday, 14 February, at Awantipora in J&K’s Pulwama district, leaving at least 37 dead.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday that a “strong reply” will be given to “Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammad” terror outfit that has claimed responsibility for the attack. In response, Pakistan has said that it “strongly rejected any insinuation” by the Indian media and government that sought to link the attack to the country “without investigation.”

The Pakistani media, meanwhile, reported widely on the attack and also focused on how it could further deteriorate Islamabad’s relations with New Delhi.

Here’s how Pakistani media reported about the attack and its aftermath:

‘Freedom Fighters Strike Back’

The Nation’s report on the attack quoted a JeM spokesperson as saying that the outfit had “nothing to do with the attack.”

The newspaper also labelled the suspected terrorists as a “freedom fighters.”

“Refusing to bow down to the ever-increasing Indian brutalities in Occupied Kashmir, the freedom fighters on Thursday struck back hard,” the report said.

‘Attack Likely to Raise Tensions’

Pakistan’s oldest newspaper Dawn reported on how the attack could further strain ties between India and Pakistan.

“New Delhi accuses Pakistan of fuelling the uprising (in Kashmir) that has left tens of thousands of civilians dead. Islamabad denies the charge, saying it only provides diplomatic support to Kashmiris' right to self-determination,” the report read.

The Express Tribune also carried a straight report about the attack in – what it calls – ‘Indian-occupied Kashmir’.

Straight News Reports of the Attack