More names, less firepower: Pakistan's propaganda war to avert India's wrath in Kashmir

New Delhi, Sep 20 (IANS) On September 11, 2025, a press release read, "we the Mountain Warriors of Kashmir (MWK), announce our entry into the battlefield. We will give our lives to fight against the ingress of occupation. This fight will go on until we achieve Azadi".

The press note is signed by one Ahmad Hannan and the occupation that he is speaking about is Jammu and Kashmir. According to the Intelligence agencies, this is an outfit that has been created by Pakistan in recent weeks.

The decision to create an outfit with such a name is to make it more relatable to the people of Kashmir. Like all other outfits that have been formed in the past, this one too is a proxy of the Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The announcement of this group only shows that the ISI is once again indulging in psy-ops against India. This is not a new ploy and in recent times, many such groups have come up with the sole intention of testing the waters and creating a home grown terror outfit.

The operation of these terror groups would be different when compared to the likes of the Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba or Hizbul Mujahideen.

The ISI would now focus more on propaganda by using such groups. More than trying to carry out terror strikes, the ploy would be evoke Kashmiri nationalism. It would be more on the lines of what the Sikhs for Justice does for the Khalistan movement.

Many new groups have been issuing statements and one has to look closely at how these groups have been named. The Resistance Front (TRF), Kashmir Tigers (KT), People’s Anti Fascist Front (PAFF) and now the MWK. These are names that have been carefully chosen so that it relates with the people of Kashmir. The sole intention is to provoke the locals in Kashmir and turn the movement into a peoples’ one.

It is text book Sikhs for Justice style of operations. No indulging in terror attacks such as gun fights, killings or bombings. Just pound propaganda at all times and try to radicalise the youth. The main intention would be get the youth on the streets, similar on the lines of what one got to witness in Bangladesh or Nepal.

Such movements are hard to control and Pakistan realises this. Battling with guns is not going to be exactly successful as the Indian armed forces are fully prepared, an official explained.

Moreover, Pakistan would tread more carefully after Operation Sindoor as India made it clear that any act of war would be considered as an act of war and not cross border terrorism.

In such a changed scenario, getting into a perception battle or a propaganda war would be far more suitable for Pakistan.

In reality all these so-called terror groups are the proxies of either the Jaish-e-Mohammad or Lashkar-e-Taiba. With both these outfits being hit hard by the Indian armed forces, it is taking time for them to rebuild infrastructure. Both outfits are facing major challenges in regrouping. The morale is down and their leaders not accessible.

In this interim before a complete regrouping takes place, these terror outfits will have to keep reminding its cadre and the people of Kashmir their fight is still on.

Moreover, there are very few cadre on the ground and making matters worse is the infiltration routes have become next to impossible to penetrate.

Hence a propaganda war would be best suited to provoke the people of Kashmir and also keep the cadre motivated. If the ISI is able to radicalise youth in Kashmir through propaganda and get the people on the streets, then it is a battle won without firing a single bullet.

--IANS

vicky/pgh