Fifth-Generation War vs. War of Narrative through Strategic Communication: Thematic Analysis of Social Media Posts about Pahalgam Attacks

Muhammad Kaqbad  Alam; Muhammad Majid Hamid  Nasir; Dr. Bakht  Zaman

doi:10.63056/academia.5.1(a).2026.1861

Authors

Muhammad Kaqbad Alam PhD Research Scholar, Journalism & Mass Communication Department of Journalism & Mass Communication, University of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan Author
Muhammad Majid Hamid Nasir Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication, Government College University, Faisalabad. Author
Dr. Bakht Zaman Assistant Professor, Journalism & Mass Communication, University of Peshawar Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63056/academia.5.1(a).2026.1861

Keywords:

Fifth-generation War, Narrative, Social Media, Pahalgam Attack, Psychological War, Technologies, Challenges, Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

The concept of Fifth-Generation War has gained significant and broader attention in recent years due to its nonstop development. The purpose of the research paper is to critically examine how fifth-generation war, particularly the war of narratives shaped against Pakistan through Indian social media pages, influenced Indian public perception and strategic outcomes surrounding the Pahalgam attack. In this research study, a qualitative methodology was adopted to examine three main themes. Three main core themes are: (1) Pahalgam attack contextualises fifth-generation war; (2) shaping narratives and influencing public opinion; (3) Recommendations for countering narrative-based threats. The core area of data collection was social media, especially Facebook and the social networking site X (formerly Twitter). The data collection period was 1 month. This study consisted of social media posts from the Facebook general population (n = 1162) and X (n = 676). The results of the study show that following the Pahalgam terror attacks, social media was widely used against Pakistan.