Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) security summit in China, urged member nations to abandon “double standards” in counter-terror efforts and demanded accountability for cross-border terrorism. His remarks were seen as a clear message to Pakistan for harbouring UN-designated terrorist groups.
India pitches for coordinated SCO action against terrorism
Doval advocated the launch of a “joint information operation” among SCO nations to tackle terrorism, separatism, and extremism effectively. He said India remains deeply concerned about persistent threats from proscribed terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), ISIS, and Al Qaeda. He reiterated that any act of terrorism, including cross-border attacks, is a “crime against humanity.”
Operation Sindoor cited as India’s calibrated response
Referring to the brutal April 22 attack in Pahalgam — where The Resistance Front (TRF), a LeT proxy, selectively killed 26 Indian and Nepalese nationals based on religion — Doval said India responded with Operation Sindoor to neutralize terrorist infrastructure without escalating the conflict. He emphasized India’s actions were “measured and non-escalatory,” aimed at dismantling the terror ecosystem.
India’s strategic outlook on SCO participation
Doval called for decisive action against UN-proscribed groups and their sponsors, stating that nations must dismantle the financial and logistical frameworks that support terror. He reiterated India’s firm stance against allowing terrorist safe havens and called for SCO unity on this front.
About the SCO and India’s interests
The SCO, founded in 2001, is a regional political and security alliance comprising China, Russia, Central Asian countries, India, Pakistan, and now Iran. India sees it as a vital platform to engage regional powers on counter-terrorism, connectivity, and strategic balance. While India remains wary of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, it leverages the SCO to bolster ties with Central Asia and counter regional terror narratives diplomatically.
