Cyber Terrorism against National Security of Pakistan: Emerging Threats and Response Strategies

The aim of this study is to identify the growing menace of cyber terrorism for the national security of Pakistan and analyse the effectiveness of current cyber responses by the state. Today, hostile state and non-state militant groups, such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), and Baloch separatist groups, are taking advantage of digital platforms in the modern era of hybrid warfare. These groups use encrypted communications (Telegram), darknet safe havens and cryptocurrency channels to recruit members and spread extremist messages and raise money. At the same time, the advent of generative AI and deep fake technology has added powerful weapons to the arsenal of disinformation, electoral manipulation, and cognitive subversion by the adversary against the state. The legislative and institutional framework of Pakistan, such as the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, National Cyber Security Policy (NCSP) 2021, and the recently established National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA) 2025, is critically analysed. The conclusions indicate several shortcomings in the structures, such as weaknesses in technical forensic capacities, lack of proactive cooperation and intelligence sharing between agencies, and the securitisation of online spaces that focus on the expression of political opinion rather than real online threats. The solution presented in this paper is a multi-layered approach in which advanced digital forensics, coordination of public-private partnerships at international level, critical infrastructure resilience and a rights respecting cyber-governance model are combined.