PAKISTAN PERSPECTIVE

Pakistani media coverage reveals a deeply alarmist and victimizing perspective in the face of this energy crisis. Dawn uses particularly dramatic language with the expression "petrol bomb," which immediately evokes violence and aggression, presenting the price increase as a destructive projectile that "falls" on Pakistan. This military metaphorization is not insignificant: it transforms an economic consequence into a suffered aggression, positioning Pakistan as a collateral victim of a conflict that is external to it. The overall tone oscillates between catastrophism ("highest-ever hike," "fire that started") and resignation in the face of uncontrollable geopolitical forces.

The main emphasis is placed on the external geopolitical dimension of the crisis, with particular insistence on the "US-Israel war on Iran" conflict presented as the direct cause of Pakistani difficulties. Media outlets systematically emphasize that "the fire that started in a neighboring country has spread throughout the region," creating a contagion narrative in which Pakistan suffers the consequences of actions that are not its own. This focus on external causes allows for partial absolution of the government while justifying unpopular measures as being imposed by circumstances.

The silences are as revealing as what is said. The coverage minimizes aspects of domestic energy policy, Pakistan's previous strategic choices regarding energy diversification, or the structural weaknesses of the national economy that amplify vulnerability to external shocks. The emphasis on "comfortable reserves" and "stable economic situation" according to authorities contrasts with the dramatic urgency of the headline, revealing a tension between reassuring the population and justifying exceptional measures.

The narrative framing follows a clear geopolitical logic in which Pakistan appears as a peripheral actor suffering the consequences of rivalries between major powers. The negative protagonists are implicitly the United States and Israel (aggressors), Iran (theater of conflict), while the Pakistani government is presented as a constrained manager of a crisis it did not create. This perspective reflects structural biases in Pakistani foreign policy: traditional proximity to Iran, mistrust of American interventions in the Middle East, and positioning as a regional power affected by its neighbors' instability. The reference to the Strait of Hormuz underscores energy dependence as a major geostrategic vulnerability, implicitly justifying a cautious and balanced foreign policy.