Indian Hybrid Warfare since 2008: Impacts on Pakistan Security

Abstract

The study aims to highlight the Indian Hybrid Warfare, post 2008 Mumbai attack and its likely impact on Pakistan Security. The study succeeds in the Exploratory, Descriptive, and Predictive data analysis approaches. Both primary and secondary data was used to elaborate different aspects of the entire study. This study conducted Structured Interviews of Pakistani, Indian and Western retired military officers, diplomats, academicians with expertise in strategic studies. Hybrid warfare is not a new thing but it comes from centuries like a strategy and comes out with different perspectives. We know that India Pakistan is involve in this hybrid strategy from centuries against one another. Since 1947 tell now we can do Covert operations against one another. So, it is not a new concept in our context but in 2008 when Mumbai attack happened against India. So, from post 2008 the change which occurred in Indian hybrid strategy was phenomenal because before this such changes never happened which Impact on Pakistan Security However, the risk of limited war under the nuclear umbrella cannot be ruled out. Pakistan needs to improve its conventional deterrence to make it costly any misadventure by India. The prospects of direct military confrontation between India and Pakistan would decrease with an effective conventional answer by Pakistan. The study argues that, the hybrid warfare strategy has been more successful as compared to direct military engagement. Therefore, it is expected that this trend would continue unless Pakistan overcomes its political, socio-economic and ethno-religious vulnerabilities. The study determines that India and Pakistan cannot win against each other in any direct or indirect military confrontation, however it is advisable that both states must overcome their differences, resolve outstanding issues through consistent dialogue process in an amicable way for long term peace and stability in South Asia.