Ajit Doval’s SCO Exit: India’s ‘Super Spy’ Leaves Summit Over Pakistan Map Dispute

Ajit Doval’s SCO Exit: The ‘Super Spy’ Who Walked Out Over Pakistan Map.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in China on Saturday to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss strengthening bilateral ties amid rising US-India tensions over trade tariffs.

The visit brings to mind a defining moment five years ago, when India’s National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, made headlines for his firm stance on national sovereignty.

The Walkout That Made Headlines

In September 2020, during a virtual SCO National Security Advisors meeting at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pakistan’s representative, Dr. Moeed Yusuf, displayed a political map claiming Jammu and Kashmir and Junagadh—territories integral to India. This violated SCO rules, which forbid raising bilateral disputes in multilateral forums.

Despite repeated attempts by Russia, then-chair of the meeting, to have Pakistan remove the map, no action was taken. Doval walked out in protest, sending a clear message: India would not tolerate challenges to its territorial integrity. Russian officials later confirmed they did not support Pakistan’s action, and Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Russian National Security Council, praised Doval for his decisive move.

The Spy Behind the Curtain

Ajit Doval’s career reads like a spy thriller. Between 1971 and 1978, he went undercover in Pakistan posing as a Muslim cleric during the India-Pakistan war, providing critical intelligence on Pakistani military plans.

Domestically, he helped negotiate peace during insurgencies, including talks with Mizo rebel leaders that led to the 1986 Mizo Peace Accord. In 1988, he took part in Operation Black Thunder, gathering intelligence on militants inside the Golden Temple.

In 1999, Doval negotiated during the Kandahar hijacking to secure Indian hostages’ release. In 2014, he coordinated the return of 46 Indian nurses held by ISIS in Iraq. In 2016, he oversaw planning for surgical strikes on terrorist launchpads across the Line of Control in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

This incident at the SCO Summit exemplifies the firm and unwavering approach Doval has consistently maintained throughout his decades-long intelligence and security career.