“India paani kholo, meri ankh main sabun jar ha hai,” read the satirical caption of an image of a man, ludicrously crying with soap bubbles all over his face. This was among hundreds of memes circulating en masse in Pakistan when India announced several aggressive measures against the country, including the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty after the Pahalgam attack in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile, the Indian digital media space presented a cacophony of accusations, anger, abuses, and calls for war. However, the tsunami of quip in Pakistan, which brought smiles to millions of faces amid a tense security environment, manifested something more profound than mere banter. The contrast in the two nations’ response to the crisis symbolised their distinct national character and varying levels of resilience.
After the attack, the Indian media fell into the same old rut again and wasted no time pointing fingers at Pakistan. There was not even the slightest semblance of the desire to seek a formal investigation. Warmongering news channels turned studio sets into mock bunkers and anchors donned military uniforms, creating nationwide hysteria. The social media atmosphere was even more visceral and venomous, with an avalanche of abuses, threats, and ego-fuelled bravado engulfing digital platforms. Social media hashtags started spewing hatred. The deafening noise of demands for “surgical strike,” “decisive blow,” and “Pakistan’s erasure from the map” echoed unabatedly, and the nation presented a miserable display of rage and a desire for dominance.
Pakistan stood on the opposite extreme of the spectrum. Neither the media was eager to blow war trumpets, nor the social media space witnessed any digital mob baying for blood. The online response was instead an epic display of sarcasm and self-deprecating humour rooted in an unwavering confidence in the national security apparatus. Timelines were flooded with memes telling the Indians that the tea was still fantastic and their pilot would not be returned this time. Some mockingly warned the enemy to leave their expensive cell phones at home before moving towards Karachi. Others capitalised on the opportunity to mock the Indian cricket board by asking whether the war would be fought in Dubai amid India’s previous refusals to visit Pakistan over security concerns.
The Indian digital media space presented a cacophony of accusations, anger, abuses, and calls for war.
This sardonic satire is a powerful display of the nation’s resilience, which manifests some enduring qualities embedded in national character. Recognised as an intangible but potent element of power, national character comprises collective traits, values, behavioural patterns, and psychological tendencies of a people. It shapes how a society responds to adversity and determines its ability to sustain shocks, absorb losses, and maintain cohesion under duress.
India’s provocative reaction to the Pahalgam attack stems from a national character increasingly shaped by jingoism, militarism, a fragile sense of prestige, and ‘Nouveau Riche’. It reflects a deeper national psyche and an illusion of power where anger is confused with strength and revenge with strategy. The space for sanity has diminished, leaving no room for pause, reflection, or humour, which demand emotional stability, self-assurance, and confidence.
Pakistan’s comical but powerful response reveals the temperament of a nation that has learned to survive and thrive with wit despite suffering deeply in the past. It demonstrates a nation that chose not to cloak its wounds in rage and its public sphere dares to laugh at the absurdity of its irrational enemy. This exceptional trait is a sign of a nation that cannot be easily rattled. It testifies that the nation’s resilience is built not only on strategic deterrence but also on strategic patience and civilisational strength. While responding to pomposity with punchlines, what emanated from Pakistan’s social media space was not just humour but a subtle act of defiance and successful reclamation of the narrative.
Indeed, humour cannot replace policy, and satire cannot substitute strategy. Therefore, to some untrained and immature eyes, Pakistani society’s choice of quip over spite might appear as something naïve and flippant. But in a moment, when South Asia stood on the precipice of dangerous escalation, it was indeed the calmest of voices which displayed the greatest resilience. Those who understand the anatomy of power would have noticed the quiet confidence of a nation which is fully capable of creating desired strategic effects when and where required. This confidence was reflected in a viral post which stated, “Made nuclear bomb in good times, making memes in crisis.”
Humour, especially the kind that can mock both others and oneself, is the epitome of resilience. When faced with an adversary whose temper flares faster than facts emerge, perhaps it is time to take puns a little more seriously. Sometimes, in the middle of a storm, the loudest sound is the sound of a nation’s laughter out of wisdom.
The writer is a Senior Research Associate at the Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS), Lahore. He can be reached at [email protected].