Book Review: The Jihad Game: Inside Pakistan’s Dark War by Abhinav Pandya
⭐⭐⭐⭐✰ Worth Reading
India-Pakistan conflict (wars) is a challenging mostly negative-sum game where both countries are often in escalation cycles with no easy solution. The roots of the conflict, particularly cross-border terrorism supported by Pakistan trace back strongly to Kashmir. Pakistan has long used Jihad (religious war against infidels) as a strategic tool in Kashmir, now reinforced by a nuclear umbrella.
Kashmiri Muslims were predominantly Sunni Hanafi, practicing a syncretic, Sufi-influenced Islam shaped by local traditions (Rishiyat), shrine culture and coexistence with Kashmiri Pandits. What has changed over the years? Religious followership has shifted toward a more orthodox, radical Sunni Islamist and scriptural orientation especially among youth.
The 'Jihad Game' written
by Abhinav Pandya (counter-terrorism expert) is an investigative book that
explores how Pakistani Military, ISI and Jihadi complex has systematically turned jihad into a prolonged statecraft against
India. While spanning the period from
the 1970s to the present, the book examines religious sectarianism, the
evolution of terrorism, the diversity of militant networks and the policy
steps & missteps of the Indian government in Kashmir.
The author clearly shows that there is no single model of terrorism—each group has different goals, cadre skills, funding base, population support. In Jammu & Kashmir, militant groups have selectively used the idea of jihad to present the conflict as a religious duty rather than a political issue. Groups like Hizbul Mujahideen, while Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed reflect a Pakistan-based, transnational jihadist approach that links Kashmir to a wider Islamist cause. Terrorism in Kashmir can be broadly divided into four major players:
1. Hizbul Mujahideen: Rooted primarily in Deobandi Islamist ideology, with strong influence from Jamaat-e-Islami, blending political Islam with militancy & grew from local cadres.
2. Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT): Firmly grounded in Ahl-e-Hadith (Salafi) ideology, advocating transnational jihad beyond Kashmir having ave close operational and ideological links with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
3. Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM): Emerges from a hardline Deobandi jihadist tradition, closely linked to Pakistani madrasa networks and global jihadist narratives.
4. Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind: Influenced by global Salafi-jihadist aligning Kashmir’s conflict with Al-Qaeda’s Islamist worldview.
According to Pandya, one entire chapter of his book is devoted to Jamaat-e-Islami identified as the Indian wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, was founded by Abul Ala Maududi, who maintained close ideological and personal ties with the Brotherhood. The book further highlights that the methods emphasized by Brotherhood thinkers such as Hassan Al-Banna and Sayyid Qutb- including propaganda, infiltration of social institutions and extensive social work - served as a blueprint for building what they termed an “Islamic society.” While Pandya notes that the organizational networks of Jamaat are significant, he points out that these aspects of funding and ideological propagation in Kashmir are often under-discussed in mainstream discourse. The chapter thus offers rare insight into how financial support, ideological mentorship and structured social outreach collectively reinforced the growth of Jamaat in Kashmir.
The author argues that the guiding ideology
of the militants has gradually shifted from a separatist framework to an
overtly Islamist one. The book also examines the role of civil and political
leadership in Kashmir and how their actions and decisions have shaped the
region’s dynamics. Author even argues that factions Like Hurriyat have hostorically acted as political fronts for Pakistan-backed jihad, providing ideological
cover and street mobilisation and legitimacy to militancy while maintaining
deniability. In Kashmir, parties like the PDP and NC are accused in the book of insincerity, corruption and of taking contradictory positions depending on their interactions with India, Pakistan or the local population. This transformation & political
ecosystem means that the militants are even less willing to consider a
negotiated political settlement than at any point in the history of the
conflict.
The book highlights how bureaucrats in Delhi
have often approached Kashmiri affairs with arrogance and ignorance. Their poor
understanding of jihadi terrorism and the region’s history, combined with
dismissiveness toward outside security experts and a history of strategic
political blunders, created a dangerous mix. Politically neglected and left
largely to the security establishment, Kashmir risked descending into chaos,
especially in the absence of any concrete solutions for its demand for azadi.
The last ten years have brought major shifts in Kashmir’s political landscape,
security dynamics and social fabric— but the apparent peace, counted by
bureaucrats through tourism, may be just a calm before the storm.
While the book is evidently well-researched
and grounded in extensive field knowledge, its primary weakness lies in editing
and narrative structuring. Several important arguments appear implied rather
than explicitly developed, making what remains unsaid at times more
consequential than what is directly articulated. The book would have benefited
significantly from tighter editing and a more cohesive narrative flow.
This is not to say the book isn’t engaging.
It presents its analysis innovatively across twenty-seven chapters, beginning
with the origins of jihadist movements, their early development, the evolution
of their networks, their social and strategic impacts, key initiatives and
insights into future trends in the region. Beyond recounting historical events such as
the abrogation of Article 370 and Operation Sindhu, the book analyzes the
security challenges facing India from Pakistan’s ISI and provides policy and
strategic recommendations to counter this prolonged terrorism. It is
well-suited for readers with a basic understanding of Kashmir who want insight
into the strategic design behind Pakistan’s shadow war in the region.
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