Security expert warns about ISI's social media strategy

Noted American expert on terror and internal security Dr Peter Chalk on Wednesday said that Pakistan ISI may well leverage encrypted social media sites, secure telecommunication platforms and online mapping technology to covertly facilitate jihadist recruitment drives or directly support terrorist strikes in Kashmir.

Chalk said that Pakistan could be harnessing the power of social media to launch attacks on the Indian economy.

He said this while delivering the second KPS Gill Memorial Lecture in Mohali near here on Wednesday.

The US expert from RAND Corporation said that the best offensive mechanism to deal with Pakistan was to work with friendly and partner countries to put pressure on Islamabad.

He warned that the US was playing a double role with Pakistan because of its strategic interest in Afghanistan.

In the context of the growing use of drones and lone wolves to launch attacks, the American expert called for compulsory registration of such technology and legislation to counter the threat.

In an apparent reference to Referendum 2020, Dr Chalk observed that an intensive social media effort aimed at radicalising young Sikhs was currently being waged by pro-Khalistani militants based in Pakistan and Diaspora groups operating out of the US, the UK and Canada.

“There are growing indications that the ISI is orchestrating much of this activity as part of a wider campaign to co-join instability in Punjab with unrest in Kashmir,” he further warned.

Chalk said that all social media groups like Google, WhatsApp etc were now realising that the use of their platforms for subversive activities was affecting their credibility.

“As noted, Twitter is already being used to promote riots and protests in Kashmir, and now that the province has been stripped of its special autonomous status, groups such as LeT (acting through JuD), will doubtless seek to escalate the tempo of this unrest through other online mediums,” he added.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh pointed out the sensitive location of Punjab as a border state with a hostile neighbour and the growing challenge of narco terrorism with linkages in Jammu and Kashmir.