Hybrid Warfare, State Responsibility, and Interstate Conflict in South Asia: Evidence from India–Pakistan Relations

Abstract

The contemporary security environment in South Asia is increasingly shaped by non-conventional forms of conflict, including hybrid warfare, proxy engagement, and information operations. While existing scholarship on terrorism and regional instability has predominantly focused on non-state actors, comparatively limited attention has been paid to the role of states as indirect sponsors of violence and destabilisation. This article examines the dynamics of state sponsorship and hybrid warfare in South Asia through the lens of India–Pakistan relations, with particular reference to the contested region of Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan’s internal security challenges. Drawing on a qualitative research design, the study employs document analysis, policy review, and triangulated secondary sources, including international reports, legal documents, and media investigations, to analyse patterns of alleged proxy conflict, information warfare, and coercive state practices. The article situates these dynamics within realist and state-sponsorship frameworks to assess how indirect strategies are employed to pursue strategic objectives while maintaining plausible deniability. Rather than treating official claims as established facts, the study analyses competing narratives, evidentiary patterns, and international responses to evaluate their implications for regional stability and international norms. The findings suggest that hybrid warfare has become a central feature of interstate rivalry in South Asia, complicating conflict management, legal accountability, and peace-building efforts. By shifting the analytical focus from non-state militancy to state behaviour, this study contributes to broader debates on hybrid conflict, state responsibility, and security governance in nuclearised regions.

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