Comparative Editorial Analysis of Pakistan-India Relations with Reference To Kashmir Issue during PML(N) and PTI Regimes in Pakistani Press

The study," Comparative Editorial Analysis of Pakistan - India Relations with Reference to Kashmir Issue during PML N and PTI Regimes in Pakistani Press" investigated the editorial coverage of prominent Pakistani English and Urdu newspapers from February,18,2016, to February,17,2021. Focusing on the Kashmir issue, a central bone of contention between Pakistan and India, the researcher explored how newspapers framed this issue and it's relationship with foreign policy and media. The selected news papers for analysis were Daily Dawn, Express tribune (English), Daily Jang and Daily Duniya (Urdu). Utilizing theoretical frameworks of Agenda Setting and Framing, the study categorised editorials into favourable, unfavourable and neural perspectives. Employing a non random convenient sampling technique. The study analysed daily editorial coverage on Kashmir during the specified period. The findings indicated a consistent framing pattern across all newspapers, addressing topics such as the right of self determination, human rights violations, political victimisation and legislative actions in IoK. Notably, Urdu newspapers alloted more space to the Kashmir conflict compared to English newspapers aligning their narratives with respective governments and national sentiments. Overall, the study provides the insights into how media outlets in Pakistan shape public discourse on Kashmir issue within the broader context of Pakistan - India relations. Keywords: Comparative Editorial Analysis, Pakistan - India Relations, Kashmir Issue, PML-N, PTI, Pakistani Press