Human Rights Organizations Allegedly Funded by ISI Behind New Kashmir Disinformation Campaign

Intelligence agencies are monitoring efforts to create human rights groups in Jammu and Kashmir that allegedly aim to spread disinformation against India, according to officials familiar with the matter.

The Intelligence Bureau reports that certain individuals in the region are attempting to establish organizations designed to present misleading statistics that portray Indian security forces as aggressors in Kashmir. These efforts come at a time when violence in the region has declined significantly, with some months passing without reported incidents.

“These rights groups seek to dish out non-existent statistics and then spread a narrative against India at international platforms,” an Intelligence Bureau official said. Authorities have also warned that these groups may launch magazines to disseminate false narratives about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Officials have noted a recent increase in online conferences involving international participants where some Kashmiri locals reportedly speak negatively about the Indian administration. These participants allegedly attempt to portray the abrogation of Article 370, which revoked the region’s special status in 2019, as having led to the suppression of Kashmiri voices and widespread human rights violations.

This campaign represents a strategic shift from previous Pakistan-backed efforts that focused on street violence, according to security sources. The once-common practice of stone-pelting after Friday prayers has largely ceased, indicating changing dynamics on the ground.

“The establishment has managed to convince the youth in Kashmir that it is tourism and not terrorism that thrives,” one official stated. This approach appears to be yielding results, with tourism becoming a vital economic sector for the region, contributing approximately 7 percent to the Gross State Domestic Product with an estimated value of Rs 18,550 crore. In 2024, a record 2.35 crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir, supporting approximately 500,000 livelihoods.

Security officials claim that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and military planned the Pahalgam attack specifically to target the tourism industry and potentially provoke India into a wider conflict. While the attack temporarily affected tourism, the sector has since recovered.

Terror-related incidents have declined dramatically since 2016. Perhaps more significantly for Pakistani interests, local recruitment into terrorist groups has plummeted from 143 individuals in 2019 to just seven in 2024, according to official figures.

“Hardcore terrorism in the Union Territory has hardly any takers today,” an official explained. “Hence the ISI has decided to invest heavily on soft terror and this involves a disinformation narrative.”

Authorities believe these alleged human rights groups will employ sophisticated disinformation tactics, including deep fake videos and AI-generated content showing fabricated atrocities. Intelligence sources indicate the ISI has identified several people for this project, many of whom reportedly have past connections to separatist groups, including some who allegedly supported outfits like The Resistance Front, described as an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

These individuals have reportedly been tasked with identifying locals throughout Jammu and Kashmir to form smaller groups that would meet with people and propagate narratives that contradict official accounts of the situation. According to officials, the broader agenda appears to be internationalizing the Kashmir issue and portraying Indian agencies and the government in a negative light on global platforms.

The developments come amid India’s ongoing efforts to normalize the situation in Jammu and Kashmir following the constitutional changes of 2019, with authorities highlighting improved security conditions and economic development as signs of progress in the region.