India’s security planners have identified a shift in the strategy of Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), necessitating a three-front battle against terrorism. This change follows Pakistan’s decision, post Operation Sindoor, to target India on multiple fronts simultaneously. Security experts view this as a significant challenge for India.
The ISI is now focusing on promoting home-grown terror modules within India, such as the one recently uncovered in Faridabad, Haryana. This shift coincides with India’s revision of its security doctrine in response to incidents like the Pahalgam terror attack, where terrorism is now considered an act of war.
Pakistan’s strategy includes escalating drug smuggling via drones and emphasizing underworld-terror connections. However, the primary focus lies on a widespread disinformation campaign aimed at tarnishing India’s image globally. This campaign intensifies during Indian military exercises, Prime Minister Modi’s foreign visits, and international dignitaries’ trips to India.
Officials reveal that Pakistan aims to influence the global narrative in its favor by internationalizing the Kashmir issue. In contrast, India maintains that Kashmir is an internal matter with no room for external intervention. The ISI’s objective includes discrediting Prime Minister Modi through sustained disinformation efforts, particularly during his international engagements.
Security analysts warn of continued efforts by the ISI to infiltrate Kashmir and promote the Khalistan narrative. The agency also plans to increase drone supply chains for narcotic smuggling, strengthen the underworld-terror nexus, and intensify disinformation campaigns, posing challenges for Indian security agencies.
The ISI’s tactics involve creating distractions, such as amplifying the Khalistan narrative, to divert attention from its primary objectives. While infiltration and the Khalistan movement remain significant concerns, officials stress the critical nature of countering Pakistan’s disinformation campaign, which spreads rapidly and poses a formidable challenge to address.
Intelligence agencies are increasingly alarmed by the deliberate efforts to tarnish Prime Minister Modi’s image through disinformation campaigns. The ISI’s strategies may include deploying deepfake videos extensively on social media platforms, presenting a substantial challenge for Indian agencies to combat effectively.
