ISLAMABAD: The Arms Control and Disarmament Centre (ACDC) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) organised the launch of the book titled “India’s Hybrid Warfare: Implications for Pakistan’s National Security”, authored by Dr Muhammad Ali.
Sardar Masood Khan, former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and diplomat, graced the occasion as the chief guest, while Gen Zubair Mehmood Hayat, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), delivered the keynote address.
Ex-President AJK, Amb Sardar Masood Khan, stated that the book offered a valuable academic examination of the theoretical construct of hybrid warfare. He noted that hybrid warfare was not a new concept, as similar methods had existed during medieval periods. He emphasised that national integration was an essential element of statecraft.
Gen. Zubair Mehmood Hayat (retd), in his keynote address, praised the author for the timely publication. He noted that a significant change in India’s policy outlook towards Pakistan was influenced by the Doval Doctrine, where the new frontier was civil society, and it advocated offensive and defensive measures against Pakistan.
He stated that hybrid warfare was no longer merely a theoretical concept, but an evolving and practical method of conflict.
He further observed that no society could remain great, or even survive, if it lost “hope” and “faith” in itself. By damaging people’s confidence in their national identity, an adversary could weaken a nation without engaging it in conventional warfare.
Amb. Moinul Haque, Director General ISSI, lauded the book as an important contribution to understanding the evolving security challenges.
He stated that modern warfare has become increasingly complex and multidimensional. Hybrid warfare seeks to achieve strategic objectives without crossing the threshold of declared war.
Maj Gen Dr Ehsan Mahmood Khan (Retd) presented a similar perspective, noting that the conventional battlefield had not disappeared and would continue to remain relevant. However, it was now overlapped by other domains of conflict, including cyber, economic, and psychological warfare.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026