Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is actively scaling up a global network of social media influencers to spread anti-India propaganda and recruit vulnerable Indian youth into terror networks, according to Indian intelligence officials. The expansion follows what officials describe as the partial success of the Shahzad Bhatti model — a blueprint the spy agency is now replicating across multiple countries.

The Shahzad Bhatti Blueprint

Shahzad Bhatti, a Pakistani national from Punjab province, was recruited into the ISI's influence operations through an associate identified as Farooq Khokar. To the outside world, Bhatti presented himself as a businessman, social commentator, and social worker. He ran an online channel called '333', producing content on India-Pakistan relations and religious topics to build a large following.

According to officials, Bhatti's channels served a dual purpose: spreading anti-India propaganda and facilitating large-scale recruitment for terror groups. He reportedly oversaw ISI operations linked to terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, and other parts of North India, and also handled recruitment for the Khalistan movement in Punjab. Officials note that Bhatti has a criminal background — including cases of theft and rape — and fled to Dubai in 2015, where he entered the dairy business before being identified and recruited by the ISI for his social media reach.

How the ISI Operates Its Influencer Cells

Indian intelligence officials say the ISI runs a dedicated cell to manage these influencer networks, operating from three locations in Pakistan. A call centre in Jhelum is used both for honey-trapping Indians and for setting up social media influencers with financial incentives. Additional centres function out of Islamabad and Lahore, while the primary hub is located in Karachi, where the ISI operates its Unit 412.

The modus operandi, according to officials, involves scanning social media for profiles that are pro-Pakistan or anti-India in orientation. Once identified, these individuals are approached with offers of money and inflated follower counts. Private chats are used to initiate contact, after which recruitment into the network takes place.

India's Response: Operation Sindoor and the Influencer Crackdown

India launched a major drive to identify and neutralise ISI-funded influencers following Operation Sindoor. Among those arrested during this crackdown was Jyoti Malhotra, cited by officials as one of several influencers detained in the sweep. The ISI's India-focused influencer operation is described as having worked briefly before being disrupted.

Officials say that post-Operation Sindoor, the ISI has recalibrated its approach — moving away from high-risk kinetic operations and doubling down on information warfare. The primary targets of the propaganda campaign are reportedly the Union government, its policies, and the Indian armed forces, particularly in light of Operation Sindoor's destruction of terror infrastructure inside Pakistan.

The Global Expansion

With the India-based network partially dismantled, the ISI is now reportedly casting a wider net, recruiting influencers from multiple countries to build reach back into India. Officials warn that the network could grow significantly in the months ahead, as the ISI deploys substantial resources to establish this module at scale. The script provided to new recruits mirrors the one Bhatti followed — presenting a facade of independent commentary while pushing coordinated anti-India messaging.

Indian intelligence agencies have issued warnings about an impending large-scale propaganda offensive that Pakistan intends to mount, with social media as the primary battlefield. Officials stress that identifying vulnerable Indian youth through online platforms remains the ISI's core objective in this operation.