Pakistan’s relations with the US have evolved from countering communism, to countering terrorism, and now to countering narratives. However, the battlefield for countering narratives is social media.

While Pakistan has been wary of social media, the US relies on it to express its point of view, often portrayed as assertion. Tweets and counter-tweets have created an atmosphere of both amusement and concern. From this Twitter war, there is much to learn. For instance, how to craft a smart tweet that can meander through obstacles to reach its intended destination. Similarly, how to avoid sending a poorly considered tweet that could be easily repulsed. Interestingly, character assassins are active in this domain, as are character revealers. The sense of exposé is taking its toll.

US President-elect Donald Trump has yet to assume office, but the spadework has already begun. A team of commentators representing Pakistan’s ruling regime has been claiming that Trump would be too preoccupied with the Ukraine-Russia war and the Middle East crisis to turn his attention to Pakistan. These commentators assume the US focuses on one issue at a time, ignoring the fact that there are departments to deal with various regions of the world simultaneously. The South Asia desk is one such example. These postulations are made to appease certain quarters, overlooking the fact that such guesses are counterproductive. A vivid example is the tweet exchanges bordering on a spat, which have been occurring even as the US........

© The Nation