RAW vs ISI: The Secret Battle Between India and Pakistan’s Intelligence Agencies

The year was 1948—India was celebrating its victory in the Indo-Pakistani War, but very few realized that this victory also sowed the seeds of a long-term conflict. Pakistan was humiliated by its defeat and was desperate for revenge. However, there was another country that was even more eager than Pakistan—Great Britain.

After ruling India for 200 years, Britain could not bear to see its former colony stand on its own feet. Thus, while India was busy securing its newly gained independence, Pakistan was being prepared for a bigger game—a game of covert warfare and psychological tactics.

---

Birth of ISI: A British Masterstroke

The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan was not born out of mere necessity; it was strategically created by British intelligence officers.

📌 Major General Walter Joseph Cawthorn, who had served as the Head of British Intelligence in Europe during World War II, was the architect behind the formation of ISI in 1948.
📌 For nearly eight years, Major Cawthorn himself led ISI as its chief, ensuring that its foundation was laid with strong psychological intelligence tactics, espionage training, and joint military operations.
📌 At that time, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Ross McKay, was an Australian officer from the British Army.

👉 This means that the ISI was never just Pakistan’s agency; it was a British-controlled entity from the beginning.

During the early days, ISI had over 10,000 officials, of which 384 key members were British officers. They were responsible for training Pakistani intelligence operatives in espionage, counterintelligence, and subversive tactics—training that continues to this day.

ISI’s British Connection Continues

Even today, Britain’s MI5 and MI6 provide training to Pakistani forces. A 2021 report clearly states that British intelligence agencies continue to train and fund ISI operatives on British soil.

👉 Pakistan knew that it could never defeat India, a country four times its size, alone. Hence, it had to rely on Britain and other foreign agencies to fight its battles.

This was just the beginning of the ISI’s grand game—a game that led to one of the most sophisticated intelligence networks involving 18 countries.

---

How ISI Encircled India from All Sides?

By 1950, within just seven years of its formation, ISI had completely surrounded India through multiple insurgencies:

📍 North-East India: ISI backed Nagaland and Mizoram insurgencies.
📍 South India (Kerala): ISI planted terrorist outfits to destabilize the region.
📍 North India (Kashmir): ISI was fueling the Kashmir insurgency.
📍 West India (Punjab): ISI planted seeds of Khalistan separatism.
📍 Central and Eastern India: ISI played a major role in funding and arming Naxalite and Maoist rebels.

---

ISI’s Most Notorious Attacks on India

🔴 1993 Mumbai Bomb Blasts – 257 people killed.
🔴 2001 Indian Parliament Attack – An attempt to destabilize the government.
🔴 26/11 Mumbai Attacks (2008) – 166 innocent lives lost.
🔴 2011 Mumbai Triple Blasts – Another series of deadly bombings.

ISI has been the mastermind behind thousands of terrorist attacks in India. It has actively supported terror organizations like:
☠️ Jaish-e-Mohammed
☠️ Lashkar-e-Taiba
☠️ Hizbul Mujahideen
☠️ Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan
☠️ Al-Qaeda

ISI is not just an intelligence agency; it is the largest terrorism-exporting entity in the world.

---

Birth of RAW: India’s Answer to ISI

While ISI had been actively waging a shadow war against India since 1948, India had no external intelligence agencyto counter it. RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) was created in 1968—20 years after ISI.

But why so late?

📌 ISI was backed by Britain, the CIA, and the KGB, but RAW had no such international support.
📌 Even within India, opposition parties tried to sabotage RAW, calling it a political tool of Indira Gandhi.
📌 Prime Minister Morarji Desai nearly dismantled RAW because of his personal hatred for intelligence agencies.

👉 Despite this, RAW was formed by a single man—R.N. Kao, who built it from scratch with just 250 officers and a meager budget of ₹5 lakh.

🚀 RAW’s First Victory: The Bangladesh Liberation War (1971)

Within just three years of its formation, RAW gave India a major victory in the Indo-Pak war of 1971 by:
✅ Liberating Bangladesh from Pakistan.
✅ Splitting Pakistan into two nations.
✅ Eliminating ISI’s stronghold in East Pakistan.
✅ Destroying Pakistan’s credibility on a global level.

This single intelligence operation changed the course of South Asian history forever.

---

How RAW Defeated ISI in Bangladesh (1971)?

📌 ISI’s plan was to use East Pakistan as a launching pad against India.
📌 However, RAW had already infiltrated ISI’s networks two years in advance.
📌 RAW orchestrated Operation Ganga, where it used a fake plane hijacking to turn global sentiment against Pakistan.
📌 With the Mukhti Bahini, RAW launched a three-pronged attack on Pakistan.
📌 Within just 14 days, Pakistan surrendered with 90,000 soldiers—the largest surrender since WWII.

👉 RAW had humiliated ISI on the global stage, proving that India’s intelligence was superior despite being younger and smaller.

---

ISI’s Retaliation: The 1990s and Beyond

ISI, humiliated by its 1971 defeat, launched its deadliest counterattack in the 1990s and 2000s by:

📍 Turning Afghanistan into an anti-India hub with Taliban support.
📍 Fueling LTTE terrorism in Sri Lanka (leading to Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination).
📍 Destabilizing Nepal and Bhutan with Maoist insurgencies.
📍 Strengthening terror outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba.

📌 ISI’s ultimate goal was to encircle India in a ‘Ring of Fire.’

However, RAW retaliated with counterintelligence operations across the world, including:
✅ Operation Cactus (Mauritius)
✅ Operation Flower Blooming (Chile)
✅ Counter-Terrorism Operations in Afghanistan and Bangladesh

---

RAW vs ISI Today: Who is More Powerful?

🔴 ISI continues to fund terrorism globally but has lost credibility on the world stage.
🔴 RAW has successfully exposed ISI’s terror funding, leading to Pakistan being FATF blacklisted.
🔴 ISI relies on foreign support, while RAW has built independent global networks.

Today, RAW has forced even ISI’s chief to beg India for mercy.

📌 But the battle is not over. The war between RAW and ISI continues to this day.

---

Conclusion

RAW and ISI are two of the most formidable intelligence agencies in the world. But the difference is clear—RAW works for India’s security, while ISI works to destabilize India.

🔹 What do you think? Will RAW continue to outsmart ISI, or will Pakistan strike back?
🔹 Drop your thoughts in the comments below!

🚀 Like, Share, and Subscribe for more deep-dive geopolitical content! 🚀