Nepal has recently witnessed a wave of violent protests, initially triggered by the government’s controversial decision to ban social media platforms. While these demonstrations reflect domestic frustrations ranging from nepotism and corruption to high unemployment, they have simultaneously become fertile ground for disinformation campaigns. A closer examination reveals that Pakistan-based social media accounts have actively sought to hijack the narrative, shifting blame towards India and framing it as the primary destabilising force in South Asia.

This phenomenon demonstrates how modern digital propaganda transcends national borders, turning real grievances into geopolitical instruments. By analysing the patterns, players, and methods involved, we can better understand how this campaign was designed, why Nepal was chosen as the latest battleground, and what its broader implications are for regional politics.

The Pakistani Disinformation Playbook

The first wave of misleading posts emerged not from Nepal, but from Pakistani social media circles. Accounts began alleging that India was operating fake Nepali bot accounts to engineer unrest, punishing Nepal for engaging diplomatically with China’s President Xi Jinping. They claimed India had adopted a systematic strategy to destabilise its neighbours, citing Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Bangladesh as “previous victims".

Crucially, these narratives were not spontaneous. They followed a tested playbook:

Initial Trigger Posts: The first notable push came from Ahmad Hassan Al-Arbi, a self-styled “defence analyst". He had previously accused India of staging false flag operations, including the Pahalgam terror attack. His thread blaming India for Nepal’s........

© News18