Published 19:30 IST, September 15th 2020
NSA Ajit Doval leaves SCO meeting objecting to Pakistan's fictitious map; MEA busts lies
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval left a meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in protest against Pakistan's use of a fictitious map as a backdrop.
On Tuesday, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval left a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in protest against Pakistan's use of a fictitious map as a backdrop. The map reportedly depicted Indian territories as a part of Pakistan. Government sources observed that this was a blatant violation of the SCO charter and against all norms of safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of SCO member states.
The Russian side, as the chair, not only tried very hard to persuade Pakistan, but it also appreciated the NSA's attendance at the SCO summit. As per sources, Russia made it clear that it does not support Pakistan's provocative act and assured that its National Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev's warm personal relationship with Doval shall not be affected. Officially reacting to this development, the Ministry of External Affairs busted the misleading narrative propagated by Pakistan. The latter had claimed that the SCO had endorsed its new political map.
MEA official spokesperson Anurag Srivastava stated, "At the meeting of the National Security Advisers (NSAs) of member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), hosted by the Chair of the SCO (Russia), the Pakistani NSA deliberately projected a fictitious map that Pakistan has recently been propagating. This was in blatant disregard to the advisory by the host against it and in violation of the norms of the meeting. After consultation with the host, the Indian side left the meeting in protest at that juncture. As was to be expected, Pakistan then went on to present a misleading view of this meeting."
Pakistan's map sparks off controversy
On August 4, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan unveiled his country's new political map ahead of the first anniversary of Jammu and Kashmir's special status revocation. In a marked departure from its claim that Jammu and Kashmir is "disputed territory", this entire Union Territory along with the Union Territory of Ladakh has been incorporated in the map. Moreover, Pakistan claimed sovereignty over Siachen by extending the Line of Control to the Karakoram Pass.
The neighbouring country also specified that its international border lies along the eastern bank of Sir Creek, which was previously shown as the western bank. However, the part of the Kashmir and Ladakh border with China was not marked and described as 'Frontier Undecided'. In another incredulous development, Pakistan incorporated parts of Gujarat such as Junagadh and Manavdar in its political map.
Reacting to Pakistan's misadventure, the MEA termed it as an exercise in "political absurdity". It stated that Pakistan's ridiculous assertions had no legal validity. According to the MEA, this was proof of Pakistan's obsession with territorial aggrandizement.
Updated 20:13 IST, September 15th 2020