Former Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan stated in an interview on August 20, 2025, that Pakistan will persist with its covert operations in Kashmir, employing low-intensity insurgency tactics that emphasize propaganda, proxies, and selective violence while steering clear of overt military engagements to evade international pressure. He accused the ISI of regrouping militant outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba under the ISIS-Khorasan banner to serve as proxy forces in Balochistan and Afghanistan, noting that groups such as The Resistance Front, an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, had initially claimed responsibility for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed 26 civilians before withdrawing it amid escalating tensions. Ehsan pointed to declining local recruitment and support for these militants in Kashmir, driven by India’s robust security policies, and cautioned that strengthening India-Afghanistan relations could erode Pakistan’s regional influence, prompting Islamabad to adapt its strategies accordingly.