New Delhi, October 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Intelligence agencies have flagged an alleged multi-state destabilisation effort by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, with Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Manipur identified as states of particular concern, according to intelligence officials.
Assembly elections are due in seven states in 2027. Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa are expected to go to the polls in February-March, while Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh are due for elections later in the year.
According to an Intelligence Bureau official, the alleged ISI-backed activities could take different forms in the three states. In Uttar Pradesh, the focus is reportedly on terror attacks and espionage; in Punjab, on arms and narcotics smuggling along with sporadic grenade attacks; and in Manipur, on attempts to aggravate unrest ahead of the polls.
The assessment comes amid investigations into the network associated with Pakistani handler Shahzad Bhatti. The Ministry of Home Affairs declared the Shahzad Bhatti Network a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in September, stating that the network was involved in cross-border smuggling of arms, explosives and narcotics and in recruiting youths and petty criminals into terrorism.
Intelligence officials said Bhatti had allegedly recruited Indian youths for relatively small sums and directed them to undertake activities including surveillance of sensitive locations, installation of CCTV cameras, narcotics smuggling, circulation of counterfeit currency and carrying out attacks.
Investigators have reportedly found significant recruitment activity in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, with some of the recruits allegedly being prepared for operations around the election period.
In Uttar Pradesh, officials said the alleged network was conducting surveillance not only of sensitive installations but also crowded public locations such as railway stations and bus stands. Security agencies are examining whether the activity was linked to plans for major attacks.
Punjab remains another area of concern, with intelligence inputs pointing to alleged efforts to increase the movement of narcotics and weapons into the state. Officials also linked sporadic grenade attacks and incidents attributed to pro-Khalistan operatives to a wider attempt to create distractions for security agencies.
According to the assessment, such incidents could serve a dual purpose by promoting separatist narratives while diverting law enforcement attention from alleged narcotics and arms networks.
Security agencies are particularly concerned about Manipur, where ethnic violence that erupted in 2023 has reduced in intensity but several issues arising from the conflict remain unresolved.
Officials have warned that groups with vested interests could attempt to exploit existing tensions through misinformation, speculation and fake narratives to reignite violence.
An intelligence official said the broader concern was that renewed instability in Manipur could have repercussions beyond the state and potentially spread across other parts of the Northeast.
Security agencies are therefore maintaining heightened surveillance of suspected ISI-linked networks and their alleged proxies in the run-up to the 2027 elections.
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