Shinde pans Pakistan for sheltering Dawood

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Tuesday slammed the Pakistan Government for sheltering ‘global terrorist’ and fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. Despite credible evidence shared  with the Pak authorities, they have failed to act against Dawood and instead provided the ‘most wanted terrorist’ a safe haven, Shinde said.

 In the presence of more than 1,000 delegates from 170 countries at Interpol’s 81st general assembly in Rome, Shinde accused Pakistan of non-cooperation to extradite Dawood and his aides.

 “I am constrained to point out that in spite of    regular dialogue and credible evidence, the masterminds of one of the most heinous acts of terror  in the last century __ the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts __ are still sitting in safe havens and yet to be brought to book. Their presence in a neighbouring country is well known and Interpol red notices against them, who are Indian nationals, are pending since 1993,” Shinde said.

 According to the Interpol notice, Dawood and his close aide have two houses in Karachi. His old house address in Clifton is: White House, near Saudi Mosque, Clifton, Karachi. Another safe house has been arranged by ISI at __ 37, 3rd Street, Defence Housing Authority, Karachi.

 Though India had shared all the details related to Dawood’s activities with Pakistan, it remains in denial mode and refuses to acknowledge Dawood’s presence on Pakistani soil.

 Way back in 2006, Pakistani authorities shifted the underworld don to Waziristan after Interpol posted the Dawood residence on its website. Dawood’s links with Lashkar-e-Toiba coordinator Arif Qasmani was also exposed in 2009 and further investigation revealed that Qasmani was receiving huge sums from Dawood to carry out terror activities in India.

 Shinde said unless the international cooperation leads to visible results, “our objectives may remain unachieved.” He also called for seamless coordination among the law enforcement agencies to prevent terror threats and nab fugitive.