In this digital age, social media has become a primary battleground for influence, manipulation, and psychological warfare. Platforms like X, which now reveal approximate geolocations of user accounts, show that most aggressive anti-Pakistan propaganda originates from India and Afghanistan. These cross-border networks operate through coordinated digital routines, creating fake narratives and amplifying fabricated incidents. A central objective of this propaganda ecosystem is to malign Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by portraying them as uncontrollable hubs of terrorism. Understanding this information warfare is crucial to protecting Pakistan’s national image, societal harmony, and regional stability.
On 22 November, social media platform X rolled out a major update widely regarded as one of its most significant transparency measures since Elon Musk’s takeover. The platform introduced a feature that attaches a country label to user accounts, based on device location and the app store through which the account is registered.
The tool, titled “About This Account,” allows users to view key information, including the account’s creation date, basic activity details, and a general indication of the operator’s location. This information becomes visible when users tap the “Joined” date on any profile. According to X, the update aims to increase transparency and curb misinformation. For example, if a device or app store is based in India, the account will display “India” as its country of origin. However, the platform notes that the location may not always be accurate if VPNs or proxies have been used.
India-Linked Activity Detected Behind Baloch Separatist Accounts
Shortly after the update’s rollout, several accounts promoting Baloch separatist narratives appeared to display India-linked activity. Among them is Mir Yar Baloch (Mazdak Dilshad Baloch), a prominent figure associated with separatist messaging on social media, operating a major handle under his own name.
Mazdak, based in Canada, has frequently appeared on Indian media platforms promoting narratives critical of Pakistan. He has previously visited India and publicly praised Indian political leadership for comments regarding Balochistan. His messaging is amplified by Indian-linked media and online networks known for circulating separatist hashtags and misinformation.
Mazdak has also been appointed to the Balochistan desk of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), an organization known for selective translations of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish media.
Other separatist-aligned accounts, including Balochistan Post and Bahot Baloch, briefly showed India as their “connected via” region before switching to VPNs after the update exposed their apparent location.
MEMRI and Broader Influence Networks
Mazdak’s digital presence gained further attention after MEMRI announced its Balochistan Studies Project (BSP) on 12 June. MEMRI, founded in 1998, has faced scrutiny for its selective translations of regional media. Its founder, Colonel Yigal Carmon, served over 20 years in Israeli military intelligence, and the organization has reportedly engaged in “unofficial” intelligence-gathering activities since at least 2012.
Independent watchdogs, including the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) and EU DisinfoLab, have documented extensive cross-border influence campaigns targeting Pakistan. Their research highlights coordinated networks of fake websites, NGOs, and social-media accounts designed to shape global narratives in India’s favor.
Journalist CJ Werleman has noted that roughly 90% of online disinformation originates from India, often driven by government-linked cyber units. Similarly, India-based fact-checking platform BOOM reported that platforms controlled by Hindu nationalist groups and Modi supporters are major sources of pro-Israel, anti-Ukraine, and anti-Pakistan content online. Another study cited by BOOM found that India produces 76% of online anti-Islam hate content.
Coordinated Digital Warfare Against Pakistan
Geolocation data from X reinforces what analysts have been warning for years: the majority of anti-Pakistan propaganda accounts are traced to India and Afghanistan. These networks often consist of newly created profiles with no identifiable owners, bot clusters that publish identical content within seconds, and fake personas posing as “Pakistani insiders” despite being digitally linked to Indian or Afghan servers. Their activity noticeably intensifies during sensitive national events, revealing that these campaigns are highly coordinated rather than organic expressions of public sentiment. Through synchronized hashtag pushes, choreographed retweet patterns, and fabricated narratives, these operators attempt to amplify isolated incidents while ignoring the state’s development gains, governance improvements, and security progress. The intention is to portray Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as ungovernable conflict zones, despite significant investments in infrastructure, education, and regional connectivity.
Disinformation vs. Verified Global Assessments
Independent international institutions continue to contradict the portrayal advanced by these hostile networks. Reports from the UN Security Council, EUAA assessments, and various regional intelligence briefings consistently identify Afghanistan, not Pakistan, as the primary operational hub for terrorist networks in the region. No credible global agency categorizes Pakistan as a central base for terrorism. These verified assessments directly undermine the disinformation and accusations circulated through anti-Pakistan digital ecosystems.
Much of the viral content used to malign Pakistan has been exposed as recycled or fake. Numerous videos shared as supposed evidence of unrest in Balochistan or KP have originated from Iran, Afghanistan, or India. Old crime footage is frequently repackaged and framed as terrorism-related incidents, while images of random civilians are misrepresented as “missing persons.” This deliberate pattern of manipulation demonstrates that the goal is not reporting truth but engineering confusion, resentment, and distrust within and beyond Pakistan.
A key objective of these digital operations is to undermine Pakistan’s western economic corridor. By projecting Balochistan and KP as unstable, hostile actors seek to erode confidence in CPEC, deter foreign investment, alarm international partners, and weaken Pakistan’s regional influence. The persistent effort to digitally destabilize these provinces aligns with adversarial strategies aimed at slowing Pakistan’s economic rise and disrupting its integration into broader regional connectivity frameworks.
