Pakistan's K-2 Strategy: How Overseas Bot Networks, Khalistani Groups Hijack Protests In India | Exclusive

Published 30 July 2026 · india

Pakistan's K-2 Strategy: How Overseas Bot Networks, Khalistani Groups Hijack Protests In India | Exclusive Reported By, Last Updated: July 30, 2026, 13:06 IST The

Pakistan's K-2 Strategy: How Overseas Bot Networks, Khalistani Groups Hijack Protests In India | Exclusive Reported By, Last Updated: July 30, 2026, 13:06 IST The alleged ecosystem involves handlers operating from Pakistan in coordination with overseas Khalistani fronts based in North America and Europe. Rapid Read Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is pictured in his office on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023(AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) Indian intelligence and cyber-security agencies have increasingly raised concerns over coordinated efforts by overseas bot networks, Pakistan-linked disinformation operators, and Khalistani extremist groups to exploit domestic protests and influence young Indians online. According to intelligence inputs accessed by CNN-News18, these networks do not usually create protests from scratch. Instead, they attempt to enter movements that already have genuine local grievances – such as agrarian distress, labour disputes, unemployment concerns, or student and youth mobilisations – and gradually reshape the online narrative around them. Officials say this pattern fits what security agencies often describe as Pakistan’s long-standing “K2 strategy," referring to the attempt to link the Kashmir and Khalistan issues and use internal democratic fault lines for hostile propaganda operations.

The alleged ecosystem involves handlers operating from Pakistan in coordination with overseas Khalistani fronts based in North America and Europe. Their objective, agencies claim, is to transform policy-focused demands into broader anti-state or secessionist messaging. A key concern is the use of coordinated inauthentic behaviour on social media. Intelligence reports say networks operating from Europe, North America, and Pakistan monitor trending protest hashtags, co-opt popular slogans, and amplify divisive content through bot accounts, troll clusters, and AI-generated material. The strategy is not always to push extremist rhetoric immediately, but to slowly shift the discourse from accountability and reform towards confrontation with the Indian state. Investigators have also flagged alleged funding channels involving dark-money transfers, covert hawala routes, and fake diaspora charities. These mechanisms are suspected of being used to provide financial support to fringe elements attempting to gain influence within otherwise peaceful gatherings. Security agencies further claim that individuals with criminal backgrounds are sometimes encouraged to provoke clashes during demonstrations, with the intention of triggering a stronger police response and creating visuals that can be used for international propaganda.