Pakistan’s War Within

Belittling ISPR’s role in fifth generation warfare is perplexing

Mustansar Hussain Tasir

Pakistan is faced with the hybrid threats from its inside.

The release of a new song “Ja Chor Day Meri Waadi” (Leave My Valley Alone) by ISPR, to express solidarity with Kashmiris of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIJOK), on August 05, 2020, which was observed as ‘Youm-e-Istehsal-Kashmir’, was given an ugly twist by the so-called ‘digital warriors’. This created a storm of controversy on all social media networks. Pakistan’s armed forces, especially its public relations wing, i.e. ISPR, were ridiculed for inaction on IIJOK and being engaged in trivial and useless actions like making songs and videos.

No Socratic wisdom was required to discern many memes and messages that were being deliberately circulated to flare up this negative campaign against the army. It was as clear as day that the whole episode was purposefully launched to not only belittle the timely-released, very impactful solidarity song but also to tarnish the image of armed forces which, to these elements, is practically toothless, despite gnawing the lion’s share of the national budget. They criticized the army for resorting to ‘trivial and fruitless’ acts in their ‘efforts’ to support the oppressed Kashmiris. This offensive campaign was very much organized and massive enough to achieve its goals to a great extent and the anthem could not garner popularity and impact akin to that the earlier one ‘Sangbaaz’ received.

Similarly, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s landmark step to include the whole region of Kashmir in Pakistan’s new political map “to reflect the aspirations of the people” was given the same negative shade, and a similar assault was launched on social media to disparage the incumbent government’s efforts for Kashmiris’ right to self-determination ensured under the UNSC resolutions and international law. The information war was so shrewdly fought that the historical step got somewhat eclipsed. Although the campaign was not that sophisticated, PTI’s overall image of ineptness in governance matters made this social media drive a success in making the PM’s decision debatable.

Again, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s scathing statement against Saudi Arabia for its unwillingness to convene a meeting of OIC’s Council of Foreign Ministers on Kashmir issue, was given undue hype and was being projected negatively so as to create a rift between the two brotherly countries. Additionally, sectarian flavour was also added to widen the scope of controversy.

A close look at this episode reveals that there were some digital warriors from outside the country, majority with fake identities, behind this hullabaloo. Although most of them were Pakistanis, some were “the dissidents,” some from media and many from parties considered PTI’s opponents. Many commoners who may have no specific agenda were just carried away with the wind, probably due to their lack of sense about the long-term impact of their liking or sharing of such posts. Knowingly or unknowingly, these keyboard fighters have dented Pakistan’s interests. This is not the first time that such social media campaigns have inflicted damage to the country but this has now become a matter of routine. 

These people are playing their part in a systematic war which is known as hybrid or fifth generation warfare. This covert war has been launched by India to malign Pakistan and to maculate its image as well as national narrative on Kashmir. In this age of Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) and nuclearization, when there is least probability of direct or conventional confrontation between two South Asian archrivals, hybrid methods to blow damage to the adversary’s interests seem most relevant and feasible as well. This type of war is actually the need of the time. Hybrid warfare could be a combination or integration of many conventional, unconventional, sub-conventional methods, including, inter alia, use of media, propaganda, psychological operations (Psyops), political and diplomatic means, espionage and intelligence sources, cyber and information tools, patronizing secessionist movements, creating sectarian rifts, supporting terrorist outfits, and many other kinetic and non-kinetic warfare techniques.

In this kind of war, although enemy’s principal objective is known, its identity and the tactics it uses are not clear. When the target nation successfully safeguards one of its fault lines, the enemy creates another. In this new kind of war, sensitivities are hurt, national morale is bruised, national narrative is blemished, national repute is stained and national honour is pricked with various strategies. These hybrid methods of war work like a slow poison and the assaults may result in mammoth losses of the targets nation’s vital national interests.

In India-Pakistan context, the history of indirect war can be traced back to early 50s when India started its secret involvement in West Pakistan till its secession in 1971 as the independent state of Bangladesh. Indian leadership and policymakers have actually inherited these shenanigans, schemes of hypocrisy, chicanery, and treachery as part of their foreign policy and war strategy from their political and philosophical guru, Chanakya. The techniques and lessons taught by Chanakya in his ancient treatise ‘Arthashastra’ on statecraft, foreign and economic policy and military strategy, have always been part and parcel of modern India’s foreign policy formulation and its global and regional political and strategic endeavours. 

India started exploring and employing these modes against Pakistan particularly after deterrence started working in the wake of 1998 overt nuclearization of the both nations. With the failure of India’s risky, impractical, low-intensity conflict strategy, i.e. Cold Start, India has pooled maximum resources into this new type of war. Modi government invigorated these hybrid campaigns under the title of Doval Doctrine, named after Ajit Doval, a former spy and now India’s National Security Advisor, also, reportedly, the main architect of scheme to scrap the special status of IIJOK. Many of the statements of Ajit Doval and many Indian generals are on record whereby they expressed their resolve to secretly punish Pakistan for its many ‘sins’ against India’s national interests. In this regard, Modi government has paid huge sums of money to media owners and anchorpersons to play their role in this ‘sacred’ cause.

Unfortunately, many Pakistanis have been used as pawns in this indirect Indian war against their own country’s interests. They are unaware that they have actually sided with the enemy. These youngsters should have been the soldiers of the soil that gives them everything but they seem to have gone on the wrong side of the history.

One needs no extra lenses to witness that the ISPR, which these social media warriors are criticizing for its new song, have been working efficiently to thwart these manoeuvres of India’s mainstream as well as social media propaganda assaults. Even Indian senior military leadership confessed that Pakistan has been outperforming India in this generational warfare. This could happen primarily due to the tireless and well thought-out role of the ISPR. In a meeting of retired commanders of Indian military, Lt. Gen. (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, who had served in Indian Army for 40 years, had to utter a very bold confessional statement about the ISPR’s matchless professional work in its war of information with India. The general said; “I give full marks to Pakistan for the manner in which it has played out the information strategy. The ISPR has done an outstanding work for Pakistan.”

This is the only reason why India’s major focus is on ISPR and monitors closely every move of the organization. ISPR is the first line of defence in this war of information and narratives. It has been successfully defeating the enemies outside but now, painfully, its major challenges are not from outside, but from within.

The writer is an analyst, and teaches International Relations in University of Okara. mustansar.tasir@gmail.com