By Samra Khaksar
ISLAMABAD, Thursday, May 29, 2025 (WNP): In the high-stakes theater of South Asian geopolitics, where nuclear arsenals, historical grievances, and territorial disputes intersect, Pakistan has developed a strategic approach that shifts the balance of power away from sheer military might and towards more sophisticated, indirect methods. This approach referred to as “Bleeding India with a thousand cuts relies on asymmetric warfare to impose substantial strategic costs on India without direct, large-scale conventional conflict. Recent military actions in May, 2025 have once again highlighted the potency and relevance of Pakistan’s asymmetric warfare doctrine, underlining the country’s ability to engage a more powerful adversary with calculated precision and adaptability.
The core of this strategy lies in Pakistan’s recognition of its military limitations when compared to India. With India’s defense budget exceeding $70 billion (almost three times larger than Pakistan’s $11 billion), the size and scale of India’s military force provide it with an overwhelming numerical advantage. India’s military includes over 1.4 million active-duty personnel, around 4,000 tanks, and 1,500 aircraft, while Pakistan’s military, though formidable, is considerably smaller in scale. However, raw numbers alone do not guarantee military superiority, and this realization has led Pakistan to adopt an asymmetric approach that capitalizes on its advantages in speed, innovation, and strategic surprise.
The true strength of Pakistan’s asymmetric warfare lies in its multi-faceted approach: cutting-edge defense technologies, elite special forces, and unconventional tactics. Over the years, Pakistan has invested heavily in missile defense capabilities, including the Shaheen and Babur series, both of which provide credible deterrence with low observability, mobility, and precision-strike capabilities. These advanced missile systems give Pakistan the ability to hit key targets within India with minimal response time, thereby disrupting India’s conventional superiority.
Moreover, Pakistan has cultivated an effective psychological warfare and intelligence network, making use of its advanced cyber capabilities, electronic warfare systems, and special forces units. The Pakistani military’s Special Service Group (SSG) is highly trained in unconventional operations, specializing in counter-terrorism, rapid infiltration, and high-altitude warfare. These elite troops are deployed in a variety of strategic roles that leverage flexibility and speed, outpacing India’s more conventional military operations.
The 2019 Pulwama-Balakot conflict illustrated the growing impact of Pakistan’s asymmetric approach. After a terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, India responded by launching an airstrike deep inside Pakistan. Pakistan swiftly retaliated by downing an Indian MiG-21 and capturing its pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan. This highly calibrated response, which effectively showcased Pakistan’s superior command and control, sent a clear message: Pakistan could respond decisively within a controlled framework of restraint, demonstrating a command structure capable of escalating or de-escalating at will.
More recently, during the May 2025 escalation, tensions between India and Pakistan reached new heights. The backdrop for the conflict was a terrorist attack in Kashmir, which India blamed on Pakistan, resulting in the launch of Indian Operation Sindoor, targeting what it described as militant hideouts in Pakistan. In response, Pakistan launched Operation Banyan ul Marsoos (Unbreakable Wall), a multi-dimensional campaign involving missile strikes, drone operations, and air defense countermeasures. According to the ISPR (Inter-Services Public Relations), Pakistan downed six Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales, a MiG-29, a Su-30, and an Israeli-made Heron drone.
The shooting down of these advanced fighter jets sent shockwaves through both the region and international security circles. India’s Rafale jets, which were only recently inducted into the Indian Air Force, were touted as a symbol of India’s military modernization. The fact that Pakistan was able to neutralize these jets so effectively further amplified the narrative that technological innovation and operational agility could level the playing field, even when confronted with India’s superior military numbers.
The international response to the May 2025 conflict has also been telling. With both nations possessing nuclear weapons, the risks of a full-scale war were high, prompting the United States to broker a ceasefire agreement. However, the conflict’s aftermath left lasting scars, and it highlighted how the use of asymmetric warfare can complicate diplomatic efforts and escalate military tensions. In the days following the ceasefire, the world watched as both nations began to reassess their strategies for future conflicts.
Pakistan’s response during this conflict was not only a message to India but also to the international community. By effectively countering India’s superior conventional forces, Pakistan demonstrated that traditional military doctrines, which prioritize numerical strength, are increasingly inadequate in the face of modern, asymmetric strategies. The capability to launch swift, highly targeted operations and to respond decisively to Indian provocations has reshaped the calculus of warfare in South Asia.
India’s military is currently stretched thin in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), where it has deployed over 700,000 troops to quell local uprisings and maintain control over the region. This heavy military presence has led to accusations of human rights abuses, with ongoing tensions fueling frequent clashes along the Line of Control (LoC). The prolonged deployment in Kashmir has placed significant strain on India’s military resources, which could otherwise be deployed along its borders with China or Pakistan.
The focus of India’s military strategy in Kashmir has created a logistical bottleneck, hindering its ability to respond to threats beyond the region. Pakistan, on the other hand, has capitalized on this overextension by focusing on its own defense modernization and leveraging its strategic advantages in areas such as cyber warfare, air defense, and missile technology. This asymmetric focus has allowed Pakistan to punch above its weight, exploiting India’s overextension and forcing it into a protracted state of low-intensity conflict.
Pakistan’s asymmetric warfare doctrine offers a unique blueprint for smaller states facing more powerful adversaries. Its emphasis on speed, surprise, technological innovation, and strategic surprise has not only shaped the trajectory of the conflict with India but has also sent a powerful message to the international community about the future of warfare. The world, watching the unfolding tensions in South Asia, is now more aware than ever of the complexities and risks of military escalation in a nuclearized environment.
In conclusion, Pakistan’s ability to engage a more powerful adversary without escalating into full-scale war has solidified its position as a regional power. By adhering to its asymmetric warfare doctrine, Pakistan has sent a clear message to both India and the world: military might is not the sole determinant of victory, and it is possible for a smaller nation to challenge a larger one through innovation, precision, and tactical brilliance.
Note: The writer is a research intern at the Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR) and serves as the Member of HEAL Pakistan Organization, a youth-driven effort for humanity, education empowerment, awareness and leadership.
