By Khalid Khan
There is a theory that the Fifth-generation warfare is not fought with conventional weapons like tanks, fighter jets, or missiles. Instead, it employs information, psychological manipulation, diplomacy, media, proxies, economic pressure, and social engineering as its primary tools. In this modern conflict, the battlefield is not the land but the minds of the people. The enemy does not send armies; rather, it turns the citizens of a nation against their state and military, sowing doubt, discord, and division.
Pakistan, due to its proximity to China, has become a battleground for this hybrid war for a long time. External enemies, in collaboration with internal adversarial elements, work to create mistrust among the pubic and the state institutions. Its disciplined and battle-hardened army is defending the country against both external aggression and internal threats. This reality unsettles Pakistan’s enemies, who, rather than confronting it directly, attempt to weaken it from within through psychological and informational warfare. In this field of narrative building, Pakistan has always been a weaker player. The weapons of this war are misinformation, manipulated narratives, and orchestrated propaganda, false news, misleading social media trends, and coordinated disinformation campaigns. In response, the government spends billions of rupees to promote their initiatives, sponsoring campaigns for political personalities, funding those who sing songs of their leaders, and investing in those who can be useful in political arenas such as general elections. Unfortunate to accept that mainstream media does not promote sacrifices of the common man and personnel of the armed forces who dare to lay down their lives for the future of the country. On the other hand, fabricated stories circulate, designed to paint the military as exploitative or overreaching, even though the reality is quite the opposite. The economic strain on the country is often blamed on the armed forces, despite their pivotal role in maintaining stability and national security and nobody dares to question national resources thrown to the dustbin for promoting individuals.   Despite relentless propaganda, the bond between the military and the people remains unshaken. The enemy may try to use fifth-generation warfare to undermine this relationship, but the patriotic citizens of Pakistan will continue to stand by their defenders. This country was built on the sacrifices of our forefathers, and today, our brave soldiers continue to safeguard it with their blood. We take pride in our army, and in every circumstance, we must uphold our commitment to our land and its protectors.
Unlike other nations where crises are managed by dedicated institutions, Pakistan’s military is consistently called upon to handle almost every national emergency. Whether it is a natural disaster or a security threat, the army steps in when civilian institutions falter. In the devastating 2005 earthquake, the Pakistan Army played a leading role in relief and rehabilitation efforts. During floods, soldiers risk their lives to rescue civilians. In remote regions like Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan, where governmental response is often delayed, the military remains the first and sometimes the only responder. Counterterrorism operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and former tribal areas have been waged at the cost of thousands of soldiers’ lives, yet they have restored peace and security. In Karachi, lawlessness and extortion networks were dismantled due to military-backed operations. In Balochistan, insurgencies funded by external actors have been curbed.
The Pakistan Army’s role extends beyond security; it has actively contributed to national development. The construction of roads, educational institutions, and critical infrastructure, especially in conflict-prone areas, is a testament to its nation-building efforts. It secures vital projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and trains law enforcement agencies to enhance internal security. Despite these undeniable contributions, adversaries attempt to drive a wedge between the army and the people, seeking to destabilize Pakistan internally so that it becomes an easy target for external aggression.
Over the past two decades, the Pakistan Army has consistently proven its loyalty and commitment, earning the trust and admiration of the nation. The real question every citizen must ask themselves is whether they are unknowingly aiding the enemy’s narrative by sharing unverified information or propagating falsehoods. Before believing or forwarding any news, verification is essential. Patriotism demands vigilance against misinformation and a commitment to national unity. The enemy seeks to divide us through sectarianism, ethnic discord, and internal strife; we must counter these tactics with unwavering solidarity.
The Balochistan Factor
On July 2, 2019, the United States officially designated the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) as a global terrorist organization. The U.S. State Department cited the group’s involvement in numerous terrorist attacks within Pakistan, including the August 2018 assault on Chinese engineers, the November 2018 attack on the Chinese Consulate in Karachi, and the May 2019 raid on the Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar. This designation resulted in the freezing of all BLA assets under U.S. jurisdiction and a directive prohibiting American citizens from engaging in any financial or logistical transactions with the group. Pakistani government, which had banned BLA in 2006, emphasized that more than seventy extremist organizations had been outlawed in the country, with at least fifteen of them actively engaged in separatist or insurgent activities in Balochistan. Mir Balach Marri, a key separatist figure who later killed in a NATO airstrike in Afghanistan in 2008, was restructured with financial and military assistance from bordering hostile countries. His footprints were as far as Iran, India, and of course Afghanistan. India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) facilitated the group’s logistical and operational network and training. Evidence presented by Pakistani authorities over the years suggests that BLA’s leadership operates primarily from safe havens abroad, directing militant activities through a decentralized but highly organized insurgency network.
BLA has orchestrated numerous attacks targeting Pakistan’s security forces, infrastructure, and minority communities. In addition to ambushes on military personnel, the group has engaged in acts of sabotage, including the destruction of gas pipelines, railway tracks, and government buildings. BLA has also been accused of inciting sectarian violence, particularly targeting the Hazara Shia community in Balochistan. The organization’s broader strategy has been to create a climate of fear and instability, with the dual objective of challenging the Pakistani state and obstructing large-scale development projects, particularly those linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
BLA has continued to sustain its activities through various funding streams, including smuggling, extortion, and financial contributions from sympathetic expatriate networks. The group’s ability to operate largely unchecked from international safe havens underscores the limitations of counterterrorism measures that do not extend beyond symbolic diplomatic gestures.
While Islamabad successfully leveraged the decision to highlight India’s alleged sponsorship of BLA, critics argued that successive governments had failed to capitalize on the opportunity to deliver a decisive blow to separatist elements. The lack of a coordinated approach to addressing Balochistan’s political and economic grievances further complicated the situation, allowing insurgent ideologies to persist. Intellectuals claim that Pakistani government’s inability to integrate Balochistan into national development frameworks, coupled with heavy-handed security measures, has often fueled local resentment, creating conditions that militant groups exploit to sustain their recruitment efforts. However, these circles forget that huge investment from adversaries is one of the basic causes for BLAs operation from abroad.
This writer believes that a comprehensive counterinsurgency approach is needed—one that not only neutralizes militant networks but also addresses the underlying socio-political issues fueling separatist sentiments. Washington, Beijing, Moscow, and Islamabad must move together and adopt a unified strategy to ensure lasting peace in Balochistan because unrest in Balochistan surely compromises regional peace, therefore not in favour of China, the United States, and Russia, which are stakeholders in the region. The challenge remains in bridging diplomatic rhetoric with actionable policies that can dismantle terror networks while simultaneously fostering long-term stability in the region.
