Doval at Dushanbe: Pak NSA listening, India proposes action against LeT, Jaish within SCO framework

Doval also emphasised “adoption of international standards to counter terror financing, including an MoU between SCO and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)”, the sources said.

The FATF, which is the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, is currently holding a meeting to decide whether to retain Pakistan on its ‘grey list’.

Doval “strongly condemned terrorism in all forms and manifestations”, and said that “perpetrators of terrorism including cross-border terror attacks should be expeditiously brought to justice”, the sources said.

He stressed the “need for full implementation of UN resolutions and targeted sanctions against UN designated terrorist individuals and entities” — a reference to the absence of action by Pakistan against LeT chief Hafiz Saeed and JeM chief Masood Azhar.

There is a “need to preserve gains made in the last two decades in Afghanistan and give top priority to the welfare of its people”, Doval said.

India, he said, “fully supports SCO Contact Group on Afghanistan, which should be more active”.

He underlined that “greater connectivity including through initiatives like Chabahar, INSTC, Regional Air Corridors, Ashgabat Agreement always leads to economic gains and building trust”.

Without mentioning the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Doval said that “connectivity must respect sovereignty and territorial integrity”. India is opposed to the CPEC — it has maintained that the corridor, which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, violates India’s sovereignty.

At the meeting, Doval also stressed the “need to monitor new technologies used by terrorists including drones for smuggling of weapons and misuse of dark web, artificial intelligence, blockchain and social media”.

Doval, Yusuf, and the other SCO NSAs agreed to cooperate in the joint fight against “international terrorism”, “extremism”, “separatism”, and “religious radicalism”, conference host Tajikistan had said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

The statement, issued in Tajik, said special attention was given to the “current military and political situation in Afghanistan”, and the risk of “escalation”.

While there was no word on the possible meeting between Doval and Yusuf, the fact that the two NSAs shared a table was significant given the fluid situation in Afghanistan and the fragile, four-month peace along the LoC.

On Afghanistan, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said: “India supports all peace initiatives and has a long-term commitment towards development and reconstruction of Afghanistan. In this context, we remain in touch with various stakeholders, including regional countries.”