India says Dawood in Pakistan, will get him no matter what

It’s a damage-control exercise, and a belated one at that. Nearly a week after the Indian government declared Dawood Ibrahim, one of the most wanted criminals responsible for 1993 Mumbai blast that killed over 300 and wounded many, as “lost from intelligences’ radar”, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said India had credible proof of the underworld don’s presence in Pakistan, and it will do everything to bring him back to justice.

“We will pursue and pressurise Pakistan in tracking Dawood, India will leave no stone unturned to bring him back,” Mr Singh told the Lok Sabha (Upper House).

He asserted that India had provided overwhelming proof on gangster Ibrahim’s presence in Pakistan, but Islamabad had failed to take any initiative. But “We will get Dawood Ibrahim no matter what, we are sure of that,” he added.

Mr Singh underlined that a red-corner notice issued by Interpol and a UN Security Council notice had been pending against him since years. He had also been sanctioned by the US. Last year, Western intelligence agencies had intercepted his phone calls and traced his location to the port city of Karachi, and New Delhi had asked Islamabad to hand him over to India.

“India continues to pressurise Pakistan to fulfil its international obligations and locate Dawood Ibrahim and other terrorists and hand them over to India,” he said. His remark came after Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary stirred a controversy, saying the Indian government didn’t know about Dawood’s whereabouts, and the extradition procedure could only be initiated after he was found.

Earlier, Congress leader Shahshi Tharoor had said, “There is no doubt that Dawood has been in Pakistan. The UPA government even gave his address to Pakistan’s government.”

Dawood Ibrahim was listed as Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the United States for his links with al-Qaeda terror group.

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