India’s Social Media Campaign Against Pakistan and AJK

Cyber espionage is another crucial aspect of India’s 5GW strategy. Indian intelligence agencies, particularly the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), conduct extensive cyber surveillance on Pakistani officials, military personnel, and government databases. The aim is to gather classified information and monitor Pakistan’s military activities, especially regarding its nuclear capabilities and defense systems. Additionally, India’s involvement in proxy warfare remains a critical element of its 5GW approach against Pakistan. Rather than engaging in direct conflict, India is alleged to support insurgent groups, separatist movements, and terrorist organizations within Pakistan. This strategy seeks to destabilize Pakistan by fostering internal conflict and weakening the authority of its central government. India has been accused of backing terrorism movements in Pakistan, particularly in the volatile province of Balochistan. The region has long been plagued by insurgency movements, with Pakistan accusing India of supporting Baloch separatist groups seeking independence from the country. According to reports from Pakistani intelligence sources, Indian operatives, particularly from RAW, are believed to have played a role in training, funding, and equipping Baloch insurgents in an effort to destabilize the province. These actions have led Pakistan to accuse India of violating its sovereignty and conducting covert operations to create instability. Incidents like the 2016 Uri attack and the 2019 Pulwama bombing are examples where India falsely blamed Pakistan for supporting militant groups in Kashmir. Pakistan, however, denies these accusations and consistently condemns India’s alleged involvement in the Kashmir insurgency, stating that India’s military presence and policies are the main drivers of unrest in the region.

Economic warfare is also a key component of Fifth Generation Warfare (5GW), and India has been accused of using it to weaken Pakistan’s economy. India’s use of social media to fuel defiance against Pakistan and its institutions, including the Pakistan Army in Azad Kashmir, is a prominent topic in regional politics. Pakistan frequently exposes India’s use of hybrid warfare tactics, such as leveraging social media platforms to destabilize the region and undermine Pakistan’s sovereignty. The Indian Chronicles and EU Disinfo Lab serve as clear evidence that India has been employing indirect and hybrid warfare methods to destabilize Pakistan and its institutions, including targeting the sensitive region of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJ&K).

Past incidents show that India has struggled to implement successful direct strategies against Pakistan, leading to the development of a “phantom strike” strategy. This involves conducting coordinated social media campaigns to spread disinformation, sow division, and incite unrest among the people of AJ&K. One such phantom strike involved media manipulation, while another was the “Balakot” airstrike. Both incidents led to India’s humiliation as the truth on the ground exposed its lies, and the Balakot airstrike, dubbed “Operation Bunder,” quickly became a scandal. After failing to gain any significant advantage through direct attacks, India now focuses on this “phantom strategy,” which refers to covert operations designed to generate confusion and instability without direct attribution. India is reportedly using fake accounts, bots, and coordinated networks in AJ&K and abroad to manipulate public opinion and create a false narrative of dissent against the Pakistan Army and the state of AJ&K.

This strategy aims to recruit agents within AJ&K and among the diaspora who can foster doubt about the truth and support the Indian narrative when media campaigns are launched. The Pakistan Army remains the primary target of these well-coordinated and orchestrated campaigns. Recent events, such as the incidents in Mandol, Tetrinote, and Neelam village—where a snow-slide incident was portrayed as a sign of public defiance—highlight how India has used social media platforms and a small number of agents to create false narratives that undermine trust in the Pakistan Army and misrepresent its role in AJ&K, as well as its treatment of the local population.

Unfortunately, certain internal elements in both Pakistan and AJK align themselves with India’s agenda, as well as the agendas of our adversaries. One example of this is the behavior of the Awami Action Committee (AWC) in AJK. While India has banned the AWC in IIOJK, the organization is free to speak and protest in AJK. However, it appears that they are taking advantage of the state’s leniency and misusing this freedom. The AWC continues to make unjust and unfair calls for protests and has shown a lack of respect for the month of Ramazan. No protests have been organized by the AWC in AJK against the Indian atrocities or the recent ban on the AWC in IIOJK. Many perceive this as the AWC AJK showing a soft stance towards India, which is deeply unfortunate.

Following the recent terrorist attack on the Jaffar Express in Balochistan, anti-national social media accounts were reportedly involved in spreading misleading and false propaganda. The terrorists involved in the attack, which targeted innocent civilians—including women and children—were said to be in contact with their mastermind based abroad. In the wake of the attack, these social media accounts spread fake information, using artificial intelligence (AI) videos, old photos, fabricated WhatsApp messages, and posters to mislead the public. Indian media also played a role in perpetuating this misinformation, analyzing the situation through the lens of self-proclaimed fugitive Baloch leaders based outside Pakistan. Through its phantom strike strategy, India aims to exploit local grievances in Pakistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK)—grievances that are even more pronounced in Indian-Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK)—such as economic challenges and administrative issues. India seeks to amplify these issues via social media to create a false narrative of widespread discontent against Pakistan and the Pakistan Army. In Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), the grand celebrations of events like Independence Day (14th August), Defense & Martyrs Day, Kashmir Black Day and Kashmir Solidarity Day reflect the strong, unbreakable bond of brotherhood, affection, mutual trust, and respect shared by Kashmiris and Pakistanis. These events are celebrated with great enthusiasm, showcasing the unity between the people. The people of Azad Kashmir genuinely wish for their fellow Kashmiris in Indian-Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) to experience freedom, independence, and prosperity. The current Chief Minister of IIOJK himself acknowledges, in an interview with BBC’s Stephen Sackur, that his powers are limited, while the Lieutenant Governor in IIOJK holds absolute powers, similar to a viceroy. The Kashmiri people are reigniting the Kashmir Freedom Movement, and the message from Pakistan’s Army Chief, which has gained traction across Jammu & Kashmir (with his posters even appearing in IIOJK), is a source of unease for India.

The ongoing propaganda and misinformation campaign, particularly from India, aimed at destabilizing and undermining Pakistan and AJK, requires prompt action from both the state and individuals. People strongly reject these malicious actions and urge the international community to hold India accountable, pressing it to cease interference in Pakistan and AJK and stop its heinous efforts to destabilize the region.