The So-Called Indian James Bond: Ajit Doval

Hammad Asghar Ali
According to moderate observers, India’s covert operations have now extended beyond the region, even reaching countries like Canada. It is not secret that over the past decade, India has actively pursued a strategy to destabilize Pakistan. This agenda became crystal clear in 2014, after Narendra Modi assumed power and appointed Ajit Doval as National Security Advisor. It is interesting to note that Ajit Doval is known to enjoy the comparison when someone calls him “India’s James Bond.” But unlike Ian Fleming’s fictional hero who fights villains, Doval’s real-life record suggests quite the opposite — nurturing proxy wars, fueling regional instability, and supporting terror outfits to achieve geopolitical goals. His satisfaction in being likened to a spy icon only masks the deeper truth: Doval is not fighting evil, he’s dangerously redefining it. During a speech at SASTRA University, Doval openly threatened Pakistan, declaring: “You do another Mumbai, and you will lose Balochistan.” This remark laid the foundation of the now-infamous Doval Doctrine — a strategy that redefined Pakistan not just as a rival, but as a hub of terrorism in Indian discourse. The doctrine shifted India’s strategy from conventional conflict to hybrid warfare — involving cyber-attacks, espionage, and proxy networks. Pakistan rightly interpreted Doval’s words as a public admission of India’s covert war. In 2016, Pakistan arrested Indian Navy officer and RAW operative Kulbhushan Jadhav from Mashkhel, Balochistan. He confessed to operating under the alias “Hussein Mubarak Patel” and admitted to plotting attacks on key security installations, gas pipelines, and senior officials. This arrest confirmed Pakistan’s long-standing claims about RAW’s activities in the region. It also highlighted India’s efforts to destabilize areas like Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit-Baltistan. One of the main targets of India’s covert war is the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Indian strategists view CPEC as a direct threat to their geopolitical interests. In 2015, RAW reportedly established a $500 million special operations cell to sabotage the project. Operating under the supervision of the Indian Prime Minister’s Office, this cell has supported terrorist groups in Balochistan by providing weapons, funding, and training. Indian consulates in Jalalabad, Kandahar, and Mazar-i-Sharif have allegedly served as operational hubs for these missions. In 2019, RAW helped unite Baloch separatist groups under the banner of BRAS (Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar). Since its formation, BRAS has carried out several major attacks — including the 2018 assault on the Chinese Consulate in Karachi, the 2019 attack on a luxury hotel in Gwadar, and the 2022 suicide bombing at Karachi University that killed Chinese nationals. In 2020, BRAS launched Operation Azm-e-Rech, targeting Pakistani security personnel. Observers link these attacks directly to Indian support. RAW has not only supported Baloch separatists but has also built ties with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Evidence reveals that India, in collaboration with Afghanistan’s former intelligence agency NDS, created joint cells that armed and trained TTP militants. Key incidents like the 2022 attacks on FC camps in Panjgur and Noshki, the 2023 martyrdom of an ISI officer in North Waziristan, and the 2025 hijacking of the Jaffer Express are believed to be part of this broader terror network. Indian media often glorifies these attackers, raising eyebrows internationally. Investigations reveal RAW uses cryptocurrency, smuggling, and shell companies to finance terrorism. Individuals like Afghan national Hazrat Ali alias Ramzan have been identified as operatives in IED attacks in Quetta. The suicide bombing on a school bus in Khuzdar in May 2025 has also been linked to RAW and BLA collaboration, indicating the alarming scale of India’s proxy operations. India’s proxy strategy isn’t new. In 1971, India supported Mukti Bahini to break away East Pakistan. In the 1980s, it aided Tamil separatists in Sri Lanka. Today, experts argue that India dreams of turning Balochistan into a “new East Pakistan.” But ground realities are different. Balochistan’s demographics, geography, and history do not support such ambitions. Unlike 1971, India has no direct land access to the region. According to former National Security Advisor Dr. Moeed Yusuf, the Doval Doctrine aims to make India the regional hegemon — a dangerous and unrealistic goal that threatens long-term peace. Pakistan must continue exposing RAW’s activities on international platforms. It should strengthen its intelligence and security apparatus, build public trust in Balochistan, and work toward national unity. Observers believe this proxy war endangers not only Pakistan but the peace and stability of all South Asia. The international community must act before the region descends into further chaos by only holding India accountable can lasting peace in the region be achieved.