Pakistani InfoWars and The Struggle for Narrative Control
“Human beings are storytelling animals. That’s what separates us from other creatures, not just having thumbs or using tools”
Marion Dane Bauer
A narrative isn’t just a story; it’s how individuals, communities, and nations make sense of who they are. From the dhabas where politics are unpacked like gossip, to the grand speeches that rewrite history, narratives shape how we see ourselves and how we want to be seen. They give chaos meaning, turn borders into belief systems, and historical events into epic sagas. Some are born naturally from culture and struggle, others are stitched together by states, leaders, and media to steer perception and power. In Pakistan, where every street, slogan, and screen hums with competing versions of the truth, storytelling becomes more than art – it’s a weapon. In this tug-of-war over meaning and memory, statecraft meets story-craft. And whoever controls the story, controls the crux of the nation.
State narratives are the grand stories a nation conveys about itself. These are officially sanctioned versions of national identity crafted to bind a people under one flag. They speak of unity, resilience, and purpose, translating politics into poetry that justify power and guide policy. Built through state-approved education curricula, media, and symbolism, these narratives define what it means to be a citizen, a patriot, or a threat. Public narratives, however, evolve from the grassroots: from individual homes, lived experiences, aspirations, and frustrations. When the state’s narratives align with public sentiment, stability thrives; when they don’t, cracks in the social fabric appear.
Pakistan has historically attempted to establish a national identity through state curricula and media. Read more at Dawn and Open Edition.
The true battlefield of Pakistan’s story lies in the tension between the state’s scripts, and the public’s spontaneity.
There is a stark disconnect between Pakistan’s state and public narratives which stems from structural, historical, and institutional flaws rather than a poor communication strategy. Since inception, the state’s narrative had been constructed by a narrow political and bureaucratic elite whose vision of national identity did not reflect the country’s social or cultural diversity. This top-down narrative sought unity through selective history, religion, and national security spiels, but excluded large segments of the population, particularly ethnic and regional groups whose realities did not align with the official story.
The 2010 name change from NWFP to KPK sparked numerous protests due to the exclusion of cultural identity. Read more at BBC and Radio Liberty.
Pakistan’s unresolved ideological contradictions have deepened this divide. Competing religious, modernist, and nationalist visions have repeatedly surfaced in state rhetoric, each reshaping the official narrative to suit changing regimes. This inconsistency has undermined credibility, leaving citizens skeptical of what the state claims to stand for. State narratives continue to prioritize defense, sovereignty, and external threats while neglecting everyday issues such as education, healthcare, inflation, and governance.
Pakistan’s strategic geographical location has led leaders to prioritise defence over improving internal infrastructure, public services, and building an inclusive national identity. Read more at CSM.
Media control contributes to the divide as mainstream outlets, often pressured or co-opted, amplify state positions while silencing dissent. This pushes citizens to turn towards digital platforms where fragmented narratives flourish. Though democratizing, splintered discourse has also made it difficult to sustain a unified or credible counter-narrative.
Socioeconomic neglect worsens discontent. Official narratives stress ideology and external threats, but when citizens face unemployment, corruption, and failing services and infrastructure, these stories ring hollow. Citizens begin to perceive these narratives as propaganda, and slogans as masking failure to govern. The repeated shifts in rhetoric between civilian and military regimes, without corresponding improvement in quality of life, have produced cynicism and narrative fatigue.
This disconnect between state and public narratives reflects a persistent sense of alienation among citizens.
It has weakened public trust, and reinforces the perception that state storytelling is a tool for control, not inclusion. Until storytelling becomes inclusive, Pakistan’s enduring struggle with representation, accountability, and participation will remain the main reasons the state’s narrative is detached from the nation it seeks to define.
Still, despite persistent disconnect between state and public narratives, moments of war have historically produced a remarkable, though often temporary, alignment. The 2025 India-Pakistan conflict exemplifies how external threats can suspend skepticism and internal divisions, creating a “rally-around-the-flag” effect.
In the face of perceived existential danger, citizens instinctively turn toward national symbols and leadership, placing collective survival above grievances over governance and inequality.
During crises, state and media messaging floods all platforms with patriotic imagery and military valour. Television, newspapers, and social media channels flood timelines with stories of the state’s might and civilian solidarity, while dissenting voices are marginalized as unpatriotic. Citizens engage in symbolic acts and digital campaigns, reinforcing the wartime narrative.
Psychologically, war heightens the need for security, and strengthens identification with national identity. Repeated exposure to a singular, emotionally charged narrative compresses the space for critique, creating the perception of unity even among those previously critical of the state. This alignment between narrative is not incidental: Pakistan has repeatedly witnessed similar surges in cohesion during past conflicts, demonstrating the situational flexibility and enduring power of state narratives.
People throw rose petals at army personnel to express solidarity with Pakistan’s armed forces in May, 2025. Image via Dawn. Read more about solidarity at CSCR.
In Pakistan, narratives are more than stories, they are instruments of power, identity, and most importantly, survival. The lingering disconnect between state and public narratives reflects structural exclusion, elite-driven storytelling, and lived realities that remain unrepresented. Yet, in moments of crisis, the fragile alignment between these competing narratives is revealed as citizens rally around a shared identity: unapologetically Pakistani.
While everyday life exposes fractures, our critique and debate reflect a deep engagement with the nation we care for most, and in times of crisis, that love can unite perception and purpose.
The Gully Kahani Team approaches storytelling as lived observation, blending on-ground reporting with narrative depth and cultural analysis. Each article is shaped through careful research, street-level perspectives, and a commitment to capturing the layered realities of urban Pakistan. The editorial voice prioritizes nuance over simplification, tracing how history, culture, and everyday life intersect in meaningful ways.
Statecraft and Story Craft
Pakistani InfoWars and The Struggle for Narrative Control
A narrative isn’t just a story; it’s how individuals, communities, and nations make sense of who they are. From the dhabas where politics are unpacked like gossip, to the grand speeches that rewrite history, narratives shape how we see ourselves and how we want to be seen. They give chaos meaning, turn borders into belief systems, and historical events into epic sagas. Some are born naturally from culture and struggle, others are stitched together by states, leaders, and media to steer perception and power. In Pakistan, where every street, slogan, and screen hums with competing versions of the truth, storytelling becomes more than art – it’s a weapon. In this tug-of-war over meaning and memory, statecraft meets story-craft. And whoever controls the story, controls the crux of the nation.
State narratives are the grand stories a nation conveys about itself. These are officially sanctioned versions of national identity crafted to bind a people under one flag. They speak of unity, resilience, and purpose, translating politics into poetry that justify power and guide policy. Built through state-approved education curricula, media, and symbolism, these narratives define what it means to be a citizen, a patriot, or a threat. Public narratives, however, evolve from the grassroots: from individual homes, lived experiences, aspirations, and frustrations. When the state’s narratives align with public sentiment, stability thrives; when they don’t, cracks in the social fabric appear.
The true battlefield of Pakistan’s story lies in the tension between the state’s scripts, and the public’s spontaneity.
There is a stark disconnect between Pakistan’s state and public narratives which stems from structural, historical, and institutional flaws rather than a poor communication strategy. Since inception, the state’s narrative had been constructed by a narrow political and bureaucratic elite whose vision of national identity did not reflect the country’s social or cultural diversity. This top-down narrative sought unity through selective history, religion, and national security spiels, but excluded large segments of the population, particularly ethnic and regional groups whose realities did not align with the official story.
Pakistan’s unresolved ideological contradictions have deepened this divide. Competing religious, modernist, and nationalist visions have repeatedly surfaced in state rhetoric, each reshaping the official narrative to suit changing regimes. This inconsistency has undermined credibility, leaving citizens skeptical of what the state claims to stand for. State narratives continue to prioritize defense, sovereignty, and external threats while neglecting everyday issues such as education, healthcare, inflation, and governance.
Media control contributes to the divide as mainstream outlets, often pressured or co-opted, amplify state positions while silencing dissent. This pushes citizens to turn towards digital platforms where fragmented narratives flourish. Though democratizing, splintered discourse has also made it difficult to sustain a unified or credible counter-narrative.
Socioeconomic neglect worsens discontent. Official narratives stress ideology and external threats, but when citizens face unemployment, corruption, and failing services and infrastructure, these stories ring hollow. Citizens begin to perceive these narratives as propaganda, and slogans as masking failure to govern. The repeated shifts in rhetoric between civilian and military regimes, without corresponding improvement in quality of life, have produced cynicism and narrative fatigue.
This disconnect between state and public narratives reflects a persistent sense of alienation among citizens.
It has weakened public trust, and reinforces the perception that state storytelling is a tool for control, not inclusion. Until storytelling becomes inclusive, Pakistan’s enduring struggle with representation, accountability, and participation will remain the main reasons the state’s narrative is detached from the nation it seeks to define.
Still, despite persistent disconnect between state and public narratives, moments of war have historically produced a remarkable, though often temporary, alignment. The 2025 India-Pakistan conflict exemplifies how external threats can suspend skepticism and internal divisions, creating a “rally-around-the-flag” effect.
In the face of perceived existential danger, citizens instinctively turn toward national symbols and leadership, placing collective survival above grievances over governance and inequality.
During crises, state and media messaging floods all platforms with patriotic imagery and military valour. Television, newspapers, and social media channels flood timelines with stories of the state’s might and civilian solidarity, while dissenting voices are marginalized as unpatriotic. Citizens engage in symbolic acts and digital campaigns, reinforcing the wartime narrative.
Psychologically, war heightens the need for security, and strengthens identification with national identity. Repeated exposure to a singular, emotionally charged narrative compresses the space for critique, creating the perception of unity even among those previously critical of the state. This alignment between narrative is not incidental: Pakistan has repeatedly witnessed similar surges in cohesion during past conflicts, demonstrating the situational flexibility and enduring power of state narratives.
In Pakistan, narratives are more than stories, they are instruments of power, identity, and most importantly, survival. The lingering disconnect between state and public narratives reflects structural exclusion, elite-driven storytelling, and lived realities that remain unrepresented. Yet, in moments of crisis, the fragile alignment between these competing narratives is revealed as citizens rally around a shared identity: unapologetically Pakistani.
While everyday life exposes fractures, our critique and debate reflect a deep engagement with the nation we care for most, and in times of crisis, that love can unite perception and purpose.
The Gully Kahani Team approaches storytelling as lived observation, blending on-ground reporting with narrative depth and cultural analysis. Each article is shaped through careful research, street-level perspectives, and a commitment to capturing the layered realities of urban Pakistan. The editorial voice prioritizes nuance over simplification, tracing how history, culture, and everyday life intersect in meaningful ways.
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