Comparative Analysis of Balochistan Conflict in the Pakistani Press: Peace or War Journalism

The Balochistan conflict has been a critical issue for Pakistan's national security since the inception of the country, as conflicts between Baloch leaders and the Pakistani government have persisted. To raise public awareness of the ongoing disputes, negotiations, and peace talks, the Pakistani media has played a leading role in covering such national security concerns. This study aims to examine the role of the Pakistani press in reporting on the Balochistan conflict by analysing two leading national newspapers—one published in English and the other in Urdu. The study compares the coverage of these dailies, highlighting differences in language and perspective. Through content analysis of news reports published by both newspapers, the study found that the English-language daily provided more extensive coverage of the conflict than the Urdu-language daily. Moreover, war-oriented reporting received slightly more attention than peace-oriented reporting.