Fortunately or unfortunately, we live in a time where information flows faster than ever before in the human history. The unfortunate aspect of that development stems from the fact that this information is rarely tested for its truthfulness. For that reason, misinformation and disinformation have emerged as potent weapons in geopolitical warfare. Quite unsurprisingly, Pakistan, through its military-intelligence apparatus, particularly the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has mastered this dark art. State-sponsored disinformation campaigns from Pakistan aren’t just problems for its neighbours, they attempt to destabilize democracies, incite violence, and erode global trust. From fueling tensions with India to meddling in the Middle Eastern conflict, these operations have started posing a systemic threat to international stability. The May 2025 conflict with India is the standing example of that.
Pakistan’s disinformation ecosystem is deeply institutionalized. Pakistan’s ISI and Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) operates specialized wings, including an “information management wing” for media and cyber operations. An Amnesty International report says that Pakistan has built a large and secret system to monitor and control people’s communications, including phone calls, messages, emails, and internet use. This system uses two main tools, a national internet firewall and a phone-tapping network, that can block online content and track millions of users at the same time. Amnesty claims this setup seriously harms privacy and freedom of speech because people are constantly watched without knowing it. Further, the problem does not end at mere monitoring. The real goal is to control the narrative, both domestically and internationally.
Reports detail how the Pakistan state entities deploy troll farms, fake news portals, and bot networks. A study identified over 50 Pakistani-linked accounts pushing anti-India narratives on X, amassing millions of impressions. The logical question then is that such a professionalised system needs funding and where is this funding coming from if not Pakistan’s government? It is fascinating that a country suffering from severe economic crisis has the audacity to spend so much money on information warfare.
Interestingly, Pakistan is using all the textbook methodologies in its endeavour of spreading this disinformation. False stories often start in small, less-known Telegram channels or WhatsApp groups. They are then picked up by mid-level influencers and eventually spread to big social media platforms. Tools like VPNs, AI-made deepfakes, and paid workers help hide where these stories really come from. We saw how post-Operation Sindoor, social media was and still continues to be flooded by fake military claims and confessions by Pakistan. From images that showed India’s S-400 system to be damaged to fake videos that showed Indian soldiers calling Pakistan dangerous or crying to go home, the world has seen it all. These false campaigns take advantage of social media algorithms, which promote content that creates strong reactions, allowing false information to spread quickly and appear true.
Why does this matter globally? Firstly, such deceit normalizes proxy wars, risking miscalculation between two nuclear powers. The 2025 Pahalgam attack in Kashmir saw similar tactics, Pakistani bots flooded global feeds with claims of “Indian genocide,” attempting to create an image of India as an aggressor, fabricating false fear about a potential Indian nuclear attack, though India is sufficiently clear about its ‘No First Use’ nuclear policy.
Second, in the Middle East, Pakistan’s duplicity amplifies diplomatic strife, as witnessed in the latest ongoing conflict between US, Israel and Iran. Pakistan-linked networks are using manipulated content to portray India negatively. They have been trying to make false claims that India was secretly helping the United States in attacks on Iran, including allegations that India shared intelligence leading to strikes, which were not supported by evidence. The network also circulated doctored or misleading videos and graphics to suggest Indian military involvement or weakness, along with fabricated narratives about India losing strategic influence in the region. In addition, fake or distorted content was used to claim that India’s foreign policy had failed and that it was diplomatically isolated, while some posts misrepresented unrelated incidents or old visuals as current events linked to India. By pushing false claims about India’s role in the Iran–Israel–US tensions, these campaigns distort how international audiences understand the conflict, which can mislead policymakers, media, and the public across multiple regions. Even economically, these campaigns distort markets and investments.
The bigger problem is that this threat scales with technology. Generative AI further lowers the barriers to disinformation. The worst would be if other countries, such as North Korea, start emulating Pakistan’s model of disinformation. Pakistan’s state-sponsored disinformation isn’t mere propaganda, it’s asymmetric warfare reshaping reality. It sows chaos from Delhi to Tehran, risking escalation in a multipolar world. Democracies need to see this as a matter of national security with punishing those who support it, strengthen fact-checking networks, and make sure AI is used responsibly. If they ignore it, truth could be replaced by whatever the highest bidder wants people to believe.