In the evolving landscape of modern military strategy, Pakistan has proven itself a capa­ble practitioner of sixth-generation warfare—a doctrine focused on non-contact combat, in­formational dominance, and psychological operations. In response to India’s aggres­sive actions since 7 May, including mis­sile attacks on Pakistan Air Force (PAF) installations, Pakistan responded with measured precision—defending its sov­ereignty while avoiding escalation.

Sixth-generation warfare, developed through advanced military theory, emphasises precision, deception, and psychological disruption over brute force. Rather than focusing on occupy­ing territory, it seeks to achieve strategic objectives through targeted operations, economic disruption, and political destabilisation of the adversary. This concept came into full view when Pakistan exer­cised its right to self-defence after India launched cross-border missile strikes.

On the intervening night of 9 and 10 May 2025, India launched a wave of unprovoked missile at­tacks targeting multiple Pakistan Air Force (PAF) bases. In line with its sovereign right under Arti­cle 51 of the UN Charter, Pakistan acted swiftly and proportionately.

The PAF’s response was nothing short of clini­cal. Its defensive posture neutralised incoming threats while successfully downing an Indian Ra­fale fighter jet—a fact later confirmed by indepen­dent sources in France and the United States. This singular event exposed India’s vulnerabilities and strategic miscalculations.

Meanwhile, Indian media churned out exagger­ated, false reports of Pakistani cities being “invad­ed” and airbases “destroyed”—claims that crum­bled under global scrutiny. The Pakistani state chose not to respond with propaganda, but with facts, deterrence, and discipline.

While jets flew in the sky, another battle raged online—one that Pakistan won through foresight and smart policy. A robust digital counteroffensive was launched that outmanoeuvred India’s infor­mation blockade.

This success was the result of strategic and con­tinuous efforts by Federal Information Minister At­taullah Tarar, who led Pakistan’s digital media ap­paratus through the Digital Media Wing, which was initially empowered by the Digital Advertisement Policy crafted in 2021 by then Secretary Ms Sha­hera Shahid and her dynamic team, including Noor Ali. This groundwork proved to be the backbone of Pakistan’s success in the digital domain.

This foundational policy enabled Pakistan to break through India’s censorship—most notably through a nationalistic military anthem that appeared as an advertisement on Indian YouTube—triggering widespread attention, curiosity, and concern among Indian users. Despite India’s attempts to digitally si­lence Pakistan, the reach of this campaign highlight­ed the power of smart, targeted digital communica­tion in crossing borders and exposing truth.

Pakistan’s success can be attributed to its mas­tery of sixth-generation warfare, which emphasises non-contact, high-precision operations, psychologi­cal impact, and information dominance. This stra­tegic doctrine aims not just to defeat enemy forces, but to disrupt their economy, destabilise political objectives, and undermine their global credibility—all without stepping into full-scale war.

In this round of conflict, Pakistan achieved all three goals:

Defended its territory with minimal force and maximum effect.

Thwarted India’s narrative of dominance, re­placing it with credible counter-information.

Restored deterrence without escalating into a prolonged conflict.

Pakistan’s coordinated civil-military response to Indian aggression has become a case study in modern conflict management.

Noor Ali
The writer is a freelance columnist