Framing of Pak-Afghan Relations by Elite Pakistani and American Press during PMLN Government (2013-2018)

Abstract

The study Framing of Pak-Afghan Relations by Pakistani and American Press during PMLN Government (2013-2018) is focused to analyze the Pak-Afghan relations as both countries are neighbors sharing a long border on one hand and is focus of the international powers since decades due to cold war and the war on terrorism after 9/11 attacks in the United States. The study is focused to analyze that how the elite Pakistani and American press frames the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan during the PMLN government that is from June 2013 to May 2018. For the study the elite English newspapers of the two countries Pakistan and United States were selected. Dawn and The News were selected from Pakistan and The Washington Post and The New York Times were selected from US. The editorials of selected newspapers were analyzed in this study using content analysis method. The study is supported by agenda setting theory focusing on the media agenda and the framing concept.Four categories discussing terrorism, US as factor in Pak-Afghan relations; the Pakistani and American stance on the Pak-Afghan bilateral relations are analyzed in three directions positive, negative and neutral. The study concludes that the elite Pakistani press has given more coverage to Pak-Afghan relations than US press whereas both Pakistani and US press has framed Pak-Afghan relations negatively.