Operation Sindoor: ‘Pride Hurt & Deterrence Lost’: Pakistani Media
Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor took over as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, SWAC on 01 May 25 (Image credit IAF, X)
Pakistani Media Decries JeM’s Masood Azhar Losing Family in India’s Strikes
By TRH News Desk
NEW DELHI, MAY 8, 2025: Pakistani media presented a mood of mourning in the Islamic nation after India carried out ‘Operation Sindoor’ to dismantle the terror infrastructure. The Pakistani media in their editorials underlined that “pride has been hurt”, while “deterrence can only be restored after a proportional response”.
The Pakistani media also tucked the worries of an economic meltdown of the Islamic nation as passing references in their editorials. But they largely struck a nationalistic tone, lauding Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his call to “avenge deaths”.
Jang, a leading Urdu daily, struck an emotional chord in its editorial. It framed the strikes by India as an attack on Pakistan’s dignity. It reported public fury over the “deaths of innocents, including 10 relatives of Jaish-e-Mohammed leader Masood Azhar”. The Urdu daily also spotlighted that India has “imperialist ambitions”.
The News International in its editorial struck the common nationalistic refrain around anti-India rhetoric, while spotlighting “deaths and destructions at the Bilal Mosque in Muzaffarabad”.
India struck nine terror targets in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (Pok) and Punjab province of the Islamic nation. The targets had been directly involved in carrying out terrorist attacks in India in recent years. The immediate trigger was the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which Pakistan-sponsored terrorists killed 26 civilians by singling them out for their religion (Hindu).
Dawn’s editorial warned that “India’s escalation risks plunging the region into a catastrophic conflict”. The daily claimed that “sites like a school in Muridke and a mosque in Bahawalpur were hit”. “Pakistan must act decisively but avoid falling into India’s trap of prolonged warfare,” argued Dawn, while advocating for a “blend of military preparedness and global advocacy”.
The Express Tribune hinted that Pakistan lost deterrence in Operation Sindoor. “Pakistan cannot afford to appear weak; a proportionate retaliation is imperative to restore deterrence,” its editorial asserted. The daily stressed on dialogue “to prevent a nuclear escalation”.
The Nation stressed the need for restraint to avoid a broader conflict. “Pakistan must respond to restore its honour but should prioritize strategic strikes over emotional outbursts,” the daily advised.
Pakistani media outlets have reported a death toll of at least 31. According to Dawn and Geo News, the strikes targeted locations in Muzaffarabad, Kotli, and Bahawalpur, among others, causing significant damage. Dawn reported five deaths attributed to “Indian artillery shelling along the Line of Control (LoC)”.
The outlet cited local authorities stating that 46 others were injured, with “hospitals in Punjab and Pakistan-administered Kashmir overwhelmed”. Geo News highlighted the destruction of the Bilal Mosque in Muzaffarabad, quoting eyewitnesses who described “devastating explosions” and a subsequent power blackout.
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