HYBRID WARFARE BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN: CYBER THREATS, DISINFORMATION, AND STRATEGIC STABILITY (2019–2024)

Abstract

This study explores the evolving landscape of hybrid warfare between India and Pakistan from 2019 to 2024, with a specific focus on cyber threats, disinformation campaigns, and their implications for strategic stability in South Asia. The research investigates how non-kinetic tools—such as cyberattacks, social media manipulation, and digital espionage—have supplemented conventional military posturing and contributed to a climate of persistent tension between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Through qualitative and case-based analysis, it reveals the increasing sophistication of both states in employing hybrid tactics for political leverage, psychological impact, and international narrative control. The Pulwama-Balakot crisis, revocation of Article 370, and multiple cyber incidents serve as pivotal points to examine escalation dynamics. The study argues that while hybrid warfare provides new arenas of competition, it also exacerbates mistrust and destabilizes regional peace by blurring the lines between peace and conflict. The findings underscore the urgent need for bilateral confidence-building measures and multilateral frameworks to regulate hybrid threats and prevent escalation into full-scale conflict.

Keywords: Hybrid Warfare, India-Pakistan Relations, Cybersecurity, Disinformation, Strategic Stability, South Asia, Cyber Threats, Psychological Operations, Information Warfare, Escalation Dynamics