PORTRAYAL OF PAKISTAN-USA RELATIONSHIP WITH REFERENCE TO DRONE STRIKES ON WAZIRISTAN IN THE EDITORIALS OF DAWN AND NATION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

The aim of present research study was to comparatively examine the portrayal of Pakistan-USA relationship with reference to drone strikes in Pakistani territory, Waziristan, presented in two elite English newspapers, Dawn and Nation during the period of January 2013 to June 2013. Regarding that, two research questions were frame; 1) How much coverage was given to Pak-US relationship with reference to Drone Strikes by Pakistani press (The Dawn and The Nation)?; 2)What kind of stance (positive, negative, neutral) Pakistani press (The Dawn and the Nation) show towards Pak-US relationship with reference to Drone Strikes?. For this purpose, total 22 editorials, 5 from Dawn and 17 from Nation, published between January 2013 and June 2013 covering Pakistan-USA relation in the context of drone strikes, were thoroughly reviewed. Having statistically analyzed the information, it is deduced that there is a significant difference in the amount of coverage given by Dawn and Nation with reference to Pakistan-USA relation and drone strikes. Furthermore, Nation has shown more negative but less neutral or mixed stance towards Pakistan-USA relationship with reference to drone strikes in Waziristan than Dawn. However, both Dawn and Nation have not portrayed Pakistan-USA relationship as positive with reference to drone strikes.