Two weeks after pulling back from the brink of all-out war, India and Pakistan are now racing to win over global opinion.
Both sides are sending delegations to global capitals to influence international perception of the conflict, as tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals continue to simmer.
New Delhi this week dispatched seven teams of diplomats and lawmakers to capitals of some 30 countries, including in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and South America as part of its publicity campaign. The delegates have been told to detail Islamabad’s history of supporting militants, and its alleged involvement in the deadly April 22 attack in the India-administered part of Kashmir, which triggered the latest conflict.
India is also pushing back against the perception – reinforced by US President Donald Trump’s social media posts – that the two sides were equals in their dispute over the territory of Kashmir, and that they had agreed to mediated peace talks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday ruled out talks with Pakistan and vowed military action if faced with further terrorist attacks. Separately, India’s foreign minister told Dutch broadcaster NOS that the May 10 truce was negotiated directly between India and Pakistan, refuting Trump’s claim of brokering the ceasefire.
“For many Indians, Trump’s messaging on mediation amounts to drawing a false equivalence by treating India and Pakistan the same,” said Michael Kugelman, a South Asia analyst based in Washington. “This is a major setback for New Delhi, given that it amounts to a victory for Islamabad in the battle of narratives that has endured even after the fighting stopped.”
