Pakistan has activated its network of overseas pressure groups to suppress international coverage of the ongoing protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), according to Indian officials. The move comes as demonstrations that have persisted for nearly two months show no signs of abating, raising fears in Islamabad that the unrest could draw sustained global scrutiny.

The Overseas Lobby Operation

According to an official, Pakistan has reached out to the same network of foreign pressure groups it has long deployed to amplify the Kashmir issue and project a negative image of India on international platforms. The direction, the official said, has now been reversed — these groups are being instructed to suppress, not amplify.

'The same people are now being told to cover up the atrocities that are taking place in PoK,' the official said.

An Intelligence Bureau official said Pakistan has been investing heavily in individuals abroad in recent months to tilt narratives in its favour. The stated priorities include building an anti-India narrative on the Kashmir issue, cultivating goodwill among foreign lawmakers to secure international funding, and deflecting scrutiny from proscribed terror organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, according to the official.

Scale of Unrest in PoK

The protests in PoK have continued for close to two months, with demonstrators calling on the international community to speak out against alleged atrocities by Pakistan's security forces. According to officials, approximately 40 persons have been killed since the unrest began, and an unspecified number of forced disappearances have been reported.

Officials cautioned that the actual toll could be significantly higher, as Pakistan has imposed a strict ban on mobile communications and internet access in the region. 'The Pakistani establishment does not even want its own people to know the extent of the atrocities committed by its security forces,' one official said.

Broader Narrative Management: Balochistan and KP

Officials said Pakistan's information-suppression effort extends beyond PoK. Islamabad is also keen to limit international attention on Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), both of which have witnessed prolonged unrest. Chinese-built infrastructure in Balochistan has reportedly been among the hardest hit by attacks in recent years, and officials said China — which has made substantial investments in Pakistan — has been applying pressure on Islamabad over the security situation.

'If Pakistan is increasingly seen as incapable of safeguarding foreign investments, it would be a significant setback for Islamabad,' an official said.

A Shift in Pakistan's Foreign Policy Toolkit

Officials noted that Pakistan has in recent years moved away from traditional diplomatic channels — embassies and career diplomats — toward a more opaque network of businessmen, lobbyists, personal contacts, and political intermediaries. These individuals, officials alleged, are paid substantial sums to manage Pakistan's image abroad and form the backbone of the pressure-group network now being mobilised over PoK.

While the strategy reportedly yielded some early returns for Pakistan, the simultaneous unrest in Balochistan, KP, and PoK has placed Islamabad firmly on the defensive, officials said.

What Comes Next

Officials believe it is only a matter of time before the PoK protests attract significant international attention, given the scale of the demonstrations and the Pakistani establishment's apparent unwillingness to engage with protesters' demands. With the communications blackout still in place and no credible dialogue under way, officials warned that further escalation remains a distinct possibility. Islamabad, they said, is mounting intense pressure on its overseas network to ensure that these developments do not gain traction on the global stage.