Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 23: Pakistan on Sunday blatantly denied claims of Dawood Ibrahim's presence in Karachi. The denial came despite the fact that the country released a list stating Dawood Ibrahim as a designated terrorist along with mentioning his address in Karachi and Dawood's passport details.

Reacting to media reports on Dawood Ibrahim in India and Pakistan, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry issued a statement rejecting the reports that Dawood Ibrahim was in Pakistan.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued two consolidated notifications on August 18, reflecting the current status of the UN Taliban and ISIL(Da'esh) and AQ Sanctions list. These lists contain names of individuals and entities designated under the two sanction regimes established pursuant to the UN Security Council resolutions. The consolidated notifications are issued periodically as a routine matter. Similar notifications have been issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the past as per statutory requirements and to meet our international obligations. Last such notifications were issued in 2019," it said.

The statement added that the notification that was issued by Pakistan on August 18 "reflect the information contained in the list entry of UN-designated individuals/entities".

"The reports in certain sections of the media about Pakistan imposing any new sanctions measures, through these notifications, are not factual. Similarly, the assertions made by some sections of the Indian media, as to Pakistan admitting to the presence of certain listed individuals (Dawood Ibrahim) on its territory, based on the information contained in the notifications, is baseless and misleading," Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in its statement.

It said that it reiterates that the information contained in the notifications is "reproduced as per the details in the list entry of the individuals/entities designated under the two sanctions regime, which is publically available, and contains names of individuals, who despite their confirmed deceased status still continue to be on the sanctions list".

Pakistan had earlier issued a list of UN-designated terrorists and entities who will be subject to "assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo" as per the United Nations Security Council resolution that Islamabad has to adhere to.

In a notification, Pakistan said, "As of August 18, 2020, the ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee has approved the entries specified below to its list of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of the Security Council resolution 2368 (2018) adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations."

Of the 259 terrorists included in the list, the documents contain the names of -- Dawood Ibrahim, Hafiz Saeed, Maulana Masood Azhar, Mullah Fazarullah, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Noor Wali Mehsud (TTP), Fazal Rahim (Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan) Taliban, Jalaluddin Haqqani, Khalil Ahmed Haqqani, Yahya Haqqani and Sarajuddin Haqqani. Overall, a total of 89 entities/organisations have been listed in it.

Further, along with Dawood Ibrahim, Pakistan has also denied the presence of Mazood Azhar who also appeared on the list.

According to the list issued by Pakistan, Dawood Ibrahim has properties in Karachi and his address is: White House, Near Saudi Mosque, Clifton, Karachi. Moreover, Dawood has other properties --- House Nu 37 - 30th Street - defence, Housing Authority, Karachi, and a palatial bungalow in the hilly area of Noorabad in Karachi.

The releasing of the list comes ahead of the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) review of Pakistan's compliance in fighting terror and money laundering. Pakistan has likely released the list hoping that FATF does not put it under 'black list' and moves it out from the 'grey list'.

The list can be considered since June 2018, Pakistan has been on FATF's 'grey list' for "increased monitoring" on countering terror finance and anti-money laundering. A final decision on whether Pakistan should be downgraded to the 'black list' or should it be made a "high-risk jurisdiction" is expected to be taken at the next meeting of the FATF plenary body.

Pakistan needs 15 votes in the 37-member FATF to be off the 'grey list', and needs the support of only four countries to escape being put in the 'black list'. Sources say Pakistan has the support of Turkey, Malaysia, China and Hong Kong.

Pakistan's insincerity in combating stands exposed with the fact that while it has issued a notification to release a UN list bearing Dawood Ibrahim's name among the designated terrorists, neither Dawood Ibrahim nor Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi are listed on Pakistan's national terror list.

The nation terror list falls under the National Counter Terrorism Authority's (NACTA) Schedule IV (Proscribed Persons) Data.

India has for long been asserting that Dawood Ibrahim is in Pakistan and has backed its claims with evidence. In a dossier that was shared with Pakistan, Indian security agencies revealed details of various passports possessed by the fugitive underworld don, who is also the mastermind of the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.

According to agencies, Dawood holds several passports bearing different names and addresses in India, Pakistan, Dubai and Commonwealth of Dominica.

Of late Dawood Ibrahim has reportedly acquired Commonwealth of Dominica Passport, issued under its Economic Citizenship Programme (ECP), against a certain amount of foreign currency, for which citizenship of the Commonwealth of Dominica are sold

Dawood's another suspected passport number is F-823692 issued on 02.09.1989 by CGI Dubai in the name of Shaikh Dawood Hassan

The 1993 Mumbai serial blasts in which 257 people were killed and 700 injured. Following this, in 2003, the Indian and the US government declared Dawood Ibrahim a 'Global Terrorist'. Dawood Ibrahim had also provided the logistics for the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, according to the dossier India shared with Pakistan.

Besides the Mumbai blasts, the 59-year-old don is also accused of masterminding other terror attacks and faces multiple charges of narcotics trafficking, fake currency peddling, extortion, real estate and money laundering through various front businesses.