India / NSA Ajit Doval walks out of online SCO meet after Pak displays 'fictitious' map

New Delhi: India on Tuesday responded strongly after Pakistan displayed the newly unveiled political map of the country during the meeting of the National Security Advisers of the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, who was participating in the virtual interaction, left the meeting mid-way after Pakistan displayed the map prominently behind its delegation.

“Pakistan’s use of a fictitious map as a backdrop for its representative depicting sovereign Indian territories as part of Pakistan is a blatant violation of the SCO Charter and against all its established norms of safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of SCO Member States,” an informed source said.

The official said the SCO chair Russia “tried very hard to persuade Pakistan not to do so” and Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the National Security Council of Russian Federation, expressed his personal appreciation to Mr. Doval for his participation.

“Russia does not support what Pakistan has done and hopes that Pakistan’s provocative act will not affect India’s participation in SCO and definitely not cast any shadow on Mr. Patrushev’s warm personal relationship for NSA,” said the source.

Pakistan on August 4 unveiled the map which depicted the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir as part of its territory. It also showed Junagadh and Manavadar as part of its territorial claim. India had protested the move and described it as “political absurdity”.