It was late evening on 1 March 2026. While surfing through TV channels, it came as a shock to see that GEO TV was displaying a highly inappropriate message against our valiant armed forces. The first instinct was that something might be wrong with the television. But then the same message appeared on ARY and SAMAA News. After some time, GEO News went off air.

The disruptions affected satellite transmission feeds but not newsrooms, websites or social media platforms. Management stated that attempts to breach their broadcasts had been ongoing for about 24 hours before the unauthorised content appeared. So far, no group or individual has claimed responsibility, nor has any public attribution been made.

However, it is important to examine this occurrence in the context of geostrategic developments around Pakistan.

Indian Prime Minister Modi recently visited Israel, where he received a red-carpet welcome and became the only Indian prime minister to address the Knesset. Days before his arrival, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced at a cabinet meeting what he described as a “hexagon of alliances”, a proposed regional framework placing India at its centre alongside Greece, Cyprus and unnamed Arab, African and Asian states. Its declared purpose was to counter what he termed “both the radical Shia axis, which we have struck very hard, and the emerging radical Sunni axis”.

In a region where Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been among Israel’s most outspoken critics, and where Saudi Arabia and Pakistan formalised a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement in September 2025 — all Sunni-majority nations — the outline of what Tel Aviv views as the “Sunni axis” is not difficult to discern.

A review of the public record of the visit reveals two notable facts. First, despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing an International Criminal Court arrest warrant and prosecuting a war in Gaza that much of the world has condemned as genocide, Prime Minister Modi signalled not hesitation but wholehearted endorsement of expanding India’s strategic embrace of Israel. Second, Pakistan — the only Muslim nation with nuclear weapons, something that has long worried Israel — may find itself increasingly in the crosshairs as the Israel-India nexus deepens. In the 1980s, Israel reportedly explored recruiting India for a joint military operation against a nuclear facility in Pakistan but abandoned the plan after New Delhi abstained. It is also worth recalling Netanyahu’s 2011 interview with Channel 2 News, in which he issued a clear-cut warning to Iran and Pakistan regarding nuclear weapons.

The sequence of events raises strategic questions. Despite Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi telling CBS News on 27 February 2026 that substantial progress had been made towards a diplomatic deal between Iran and the United States, stating that “a peace deal is within our reach”, Israel attacked Iran on 28 February 2026. Following the assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei on the night between 28 February and 1 March 2026, major Pakistani news channels were hacked.

“Fifth-generation warfare” describes non-kinetic, hybrid, information-centric conflict, where the battlefield comprises media, cyberspace, public perception, narrative, psychological space and political stability. It does not rely on tanks or missiles. Its tools include cyberattacks, disinformation, narrative manipulation, psychological operations and the spread of fake news. Its primary purpose is to weaken morale, create internal strife and destabilise governments without open war. It tests technological vulnerabilities, identifies weak areas and maps future comprehensive attacks in support of overt military action.

In my view, this hacking was a salvo of such warfare. Interrupting mainstream channels damages credibility, creates confusion, signals vulnerability, triggers social media speculation and fuels conspiracy narratives. Given the war in the Middle East, skirmishes with Afghanistan and the close ties between India and Israel, the likelihood of involvement by this nexus increases.

Pakistan must begin by hardening its broadcast infrastructure. Satellite uplink encryption and authentication systems need urgent upgrading, supported by multilayered signal verification protocols and real-time third-party intrusion detection mechanisms. Such measures would make any repeat of this incident significantly more difficult and ensure that breaches are quickly identified and contained.

A National Media Cyber Command Centre should be established on a war footing under PEMRA. This body must bring together cybersecurity agencies, broadcast regulators, intelligence services, private media IT heads and other relevant stakeholders under one coordinated structure. The country must transition from a reactive posture to a proactive and anticipatory cyber defence framework.

Clear public communication protocols are equally essential. In fifth-generation warfare, silence creates space for disinformation. Whenever a cyberattack occurs, the government must issue immediate and transparent clarification explaining the technical nature of the breach, thereby preventing rumour escalation and narrative manipulation. Control over the narrative space is now inseparable from control over cyberspace.

System redundancy must also be institutionalised. The primary objective of any cyberattack is to disrupt or compromise systems. Parallel encrypted satellite pathways, fibre-optic backups and emergency content override mechanisms should be developed to ensure uninterrupted transmission even during hostile interference.

Finally, diplomatic deterrence must be strengthened. Pakistan should build a robust international cooperation framework for credible cyber attribution. If a foreign state is found responsible, diplomatic escalation should follow in a calibrated but firm manner. The cost of interference must extend beyond temporary technical inconvenience and enter the realm of strategic consequence.

Pakistan lives in an increasingly turbulent neighbourhood. To the west, Afghanistan remains volatile, with border clashes and militant attacks emanating from its soil. To the southwest, Iran faces major conflict, and any widening war will intensify challenges for Pakistan. To the east, India, with overt Israeli support, continues to exert strategic pressure.

In such an environment, cyber incidents, narrative battles and military posturing form part of a single strategic continuum. This challenge demands strategic foresight, institutional resilience, calibrated diplomacy, an inclusive political environment and technological preparedness.

In the 21st century, cyberspace is rapidly becoming the most potent battlefield. We must be prepared.

Aamir Zulfiqar KhanThe writer is a senior public policy expert who has served as Inspector General of Police, Punjab, Islamabad and National Highway & Motorways Police. He can be reached at amzkhan.lhr@gmail.com

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