Former Western Army Commander Lieutenant General Manoj Katiyar has stated that Pakistan is unlikely to abandon its reliance on proxy warfare, which continues to be viewed by its military establishment as a low-cost strategic instrument against India, reported Arvind Chauhan of TOI.

Speaking at a seminar titled “Op Sindoor 2.0: Lessons, Strategy and Prognosis,” organised by STRIVE India in Lucknow with support from HQ Central Command, he emphasised that terrorism remains central to Pakistan’s military narrative, reinforcing its internal relevance and sustaining its anti-India posture.

Lt Gen Katiyar, who retired on 31 March 2026 after four decades of service, had commanded the Western Command during Operation Sindoor in May 2025. He recalled how formations under his command played a substantial role in the campaign, which marked a decisive shift in India’s military doctrine.

He noted that India’s responses to terror attacks such as Uri, Pulwama and Pahalgam had progressively escalated in scale, depth and duration, reflecting a deliberate evolution in strategy.

He argued that future Indian responses must go beyond tactical punishment and instead impose sustained military, political and psychological costs on Pakistan. According to him, deterrence must evolve into compliance, where the costs of supporting terrorism become unbearable for Pakistan’s military establishment.

He also highlighted the importance of perception management, stressing that in modern conflicts “victory should be seen to be believed.” He underscored the decisive role of information warfare and cyber warfare in shaping narratives and degrading the adversary’s war-waging capability.

Lt Gen Katiyar pointed out that warfare is increasingly multi-domain in nature, unfolding simultaneously across land, air, cyber, space, information and the electromagnetic spectrum.

Drawing lessons from Operation Sindoor and global conflicts, he emphasised the growing importance of drones, precision strikes, electronic warfare, intelligence fusion and compressed decision-making cycles. He noted that these capabilities would be critical in ensuring rapid and effective responses in future engagements.

He also stressed the urgent need to strengthen military diplomacy, arguing that India must deepen its relations with friendly foreign countries and neighbours to build strategic resilience.

In his view, diplomacy and partnerships will complement military power, ensuring that India’s deterrence posture is reinforced by international support.

The former commander’s remarks reflect a broader consensus within India’s strategic community that Pakistan’s reliance on terrorism is unlikely to diminish, and that India must continue to adapt its doctrine to impose costs across multiple domains.

His emphasis on perception management, cyber warfare and military diplomacy highlights the changing character of conflict and the need for India to integrate hard power with strategic communication and alliances.

TOI