In a disturbing continuum of hostile acts, Pakistan has once again exposed its reliance on a tripartite strategy of proxy terrorism, ceasefire violations, and cyber intrusions to destabilize India. Recent developments underscore a coordinated escalation—rooted in rhetoric, operationalized through terror, and masked with denial.
The sequence began on April 16, 2025, when Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, delivered a belligerent, anti-India address at a conclave of overseas Pakistanis in Islamabad. His remarks, widely reported in Pakistani media, were laden with revanchist undertones. Just two days later, on April 18, a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) figure issued a venomous tirade in Khaigala, Rawalkot (PoK), condemning the Indian Army’s neutralization of two LeT operatives in Jammu & Kashmir earlier that week.
This rhetorical build-up appeared to embolden The Resistance Front (TRF)—a known LeT proxy operating under the aegis of Pakistan’s military-intelligence establishment (ISI)—to execute a massacre of 26 Indian tourists in Pahalgam on April 22. Intelligence sources, including those cited in defence corridors, confirm TRF’s role and its deep ISI linkages. The attack was not an isolated outburst of violence; it was a strategic message—meant to provoke, polarize, and unsettle.
Pakistan, true to its playbook, attempted to deflect responsibility by labelling the massacre a “false flag” operation. This narrative unravelled quickly when Pakistan’s own Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, in an interview with a British news outlet on April 26, admitted that Pakistan had supported terrorists for over three decades—a rare public confession that undermined Islamabad’s habitual denials.
The pattern of escalation didn’t stop there. On April 29, Pakistani forces violated the 2021 Ceasefire Agreement along the International Border in Jammu’s Pargwal Sector, marking the 15th such breach this year. According to Indian Army data, there have also been over 2,651 instances of small arms fire and at least three documented infiltration attempts in 2025, resulting in the elimination of seven terrorists.
Despite Pakistan’s provocations, India has adhered to a calibrated military posture. The Indian side has used two flag meetings in Poonch and regular DGMO hotline communications every Tuesday to convey firm warnings as per the highly placed sources. These engagements reflect India’s strategic restraint, even as it maintains operational readiness.
“Director Generals of Military Operations of India and Pakistan talked over hotline yesterday to discuss the unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistan. India warned Pakistan against the unprovoked violations by Pakistan Army along the Line of Control,” source said.
In parallel, Pakistan has expanded its offensive into the cyber domain. Over the past week, Pakistani cyber operators targeted Indian Army-affiliated websites, including the Army Nursing College, Army Public Schools, and veteran welfare platforms. While none of the critical defence infrastructure was compromised, these attacks—aimed at non-combatant communities—signal the ethical void at the core of Pakistan’s hybrid warfare doctrine.
In parallel, Pakistan has expanded its offensive into the cyber domain. Over the past week, Pakistani cyber operators targeted Indian Army-affiliated websites, including the Army Nursing College, Army Public Schools, and veteran welfare platforms. While none of the critical defence infrastructure was compromised, these attacks—aimed at non-combatant communities—signal the ethical void at the core of Pakistan’s hybrid warfare doctrine, the source revealed.
The international community has responded with broad condemnation. Nations across the strategic spectrum have expressed solidarity with India, recognizing the attack in Pahalgam and the border violations as part of Pakistan’s long-standing policy of using terrorism as an instrument of statecraft.
India’s response, thus far, has balanced firmness with restraint. However, as Pakistan escalates on multiple fronts, it risks mistaking India’s maturity for weakness. The real test lies ahead—not only for India’s military preparedness but also for its diplomatic resolve to expose Pakistan’s duplicity in global forums.
Pakistan’s actions over the past fortnight have removed any pretence of plausible deniability. With proxy terror, cross-border aggression, and cyber warfare forming a coordinated triad of hostility, Islamabad’s strategic calculus is now laid bare. India, backed by international support and the strength of its institutions, retains both the moral and strategic high ground. The message is clear: India’s patience is not infinite—and its next move will be dictated by national interest, not provocation.
Ravi Shankar
Dr Ravi Shankar has over two decades of experience in communications, print journalism, electronic media, documentary film making and new media.
He makes regular appearances on national television news channels as a commentator and analyst on current and political affairs. Apart from being an acknowledged Journalist, he has been a passionate newsroom manager bringing a wide range of journalistic experience from past associations with India’s leading media conglomerates (Times of India group and India Today group) and had led global news-gathering operations at world’s biggest multimedia news agency- ANI-Reuters. He has covered Parliament extensively over the past several years. Widely traveled, he has covered several summits as part of media delegation accompanying the Indian President, Vice President, Prime Minister, External Affairs Minister and Finance Minister across Asia, Africa and Europe.
