Abdul Basit counters Rajnath Singh’s statement, says ‘Dawood Ibrahim not in Pakistan’

Mumbai: Countering Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement in Lok Sabha on Monday, Pakistan envoy Abdul Basit denied claims that fugitive terrorist Dawood Ibrahim is in Pakistan.

“If you don't trust our judicial system it won't help, a legal process, we should let law take its course,” said Basit.

Days after the Narendra Modi-government was left red faced over Dawood’s location, Singh today asserted that the Mumbai blast mastermind is in Pakistan and it will do everything to bring him to justice.

"Whether we have to pursue Pakistan or pressurise it, we will not rest till Dawood Ibrahim is brought back," Home Minister Rajnath Singh said in Lok Sabha and averred that India has maintained pressure on Pakistan at all levels over the issue.

Read: Dawood is in Pakistan, will get him no matter what: Rajnath Singh in Parliament

He alleged that Pakistan has "failed" to track him down despite being provided with "overwhelming evidence" about his presence there, based on "credible information".

Singh's assertion came amid Opposition attack over a Home Ministry's reply to a question in Lok Sabha last week that it was not aware about the gangster's location.

He had then sought to deflect the criticism, saying the stand was similar to the one taken by the UPA government in Parliament in May 2013 and signalled a rethink. He had said he will make a statement in Parliament today.

In the statement, Singh said, "India has credible information about his presence in Pakistan... Despite the neighbouring country being handed over overwhelming documentary and other evidence, it has to locate him and initiate legal process."

India has provided Pakistan the details of his Pakistani passports and reported addresses there from time to time, asking it to locate and hand him over to it.

Noting that a red-corner notice issued by Interpol was pending against Dawood since 1996 and a UN Security Council's special notice against him was also pending since 2006, the Home Minister said Pakistan was bound by international obligations to locate and extradite him.

The Home Minister said, "India continues to pressurise Pakistan to fulfil its international obligations and locate Dawood Ibrahim and other terrorists and hand them over to India."

A row had erupted following a written reply by Minister of State for Home Affairs Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary to a question in Lok Sabha, saying the government was not aware about Dawood's whereabouts, which had triggered a sharp opposition attack on the Narendra Modi government last week.

Jyotiraditya Scindia (Cong) in Congress had accused the Modi dispensation of doing a sudden "U-turn" in the matter in spite of the fact that Dawood continued to be the most wanted fugitive after the 1993 Mumbai blasts.

Read: Pakistan seizes India Home Ministry gaffe to now say Dawood Ibrahim is not in their country

The Congress Chief Whip said Pakistan was cocking a snook at India in the wake of the U-turn by NDA Government. He recalled that during the election campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi used to say that India will pursue Dawood inside Pakistan like the US targeted Osama Bin Laden there.

The government later went into a damage-control mode with Singh telling Parliament that the reply was the same that was given on May 7, 2013 when the UPA was in power.

The name of Dawood, who is wanted in connection with 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, figures in almost all the dossiers that have been handed over to Pakistan since the NDA rule in early 2000.

Dawood, who has been listed as Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the United States for his alleged links with al Qaeda terror group, vanished from Mumbai between 1992-93.

Read: Where is don Dawood Ibrahim? Government knew last December, now it doesn't

The CBI has alleged that he conspired with the ISI to carry out the serial blasts in Mumbai in which 257 people were killed and property worth Rs 32 crore damaged.

Asked about 26/11 Mumbai blast mastermind Hafiz Saeed's release from jail, Basit said Pakistan had arrested eight persons in connection with the blast and the government was pursuing the case seriously in court.

"He (Hafiz) has been granted bail by the court. He has not got clean chit from it. There should not be any premature conclusions. Whatever verdict court gives, we have to accept. You all should respect our court," Basit said.

"The prosecution has put all evidences including those provided by India (before the court). The matter is subjudice and I will not make comments on it," he said.

Maintaining that killing of innocent people cannot be justified, Basit said Pakistan had sufferred a lot after 9/11 with around 50-60 thousand civilians having fallen prey to terrorism, besides six thousand security personnel.

"We have suffered economic losses of 100 billion dollars due to terrorism in past 11 years. We are fighting it and will surely get rid of it," Basit said.

About sectarian conflict in that country, Basit said there were different dimensions to violence in Pakistan, which, he claimed, had come down.

Read: Dawood Ibrahim wanted to surrender, claims former Delhi Police chief Neeraj Kumar

"The government of Pakistan is determined to end violence," he said. On continued infiltration in Kashmir by Pakistan, Basit said, "It's your view point."

"The issue of Jammu and Kashmir is not new. Whatever is going on there is not terrorism. We also have our concerns.

The issue is to be resolved through talks. Whatever people there want would happen. Let the talks begin between two countries. We want talk on all issues besides this," he said.

"There are forces on both sides of border that could pressurise governments. Government side should not be held hostage to such forces," he said. Basit rejected allegations of ceasefire violations by Pakistan.

"We have opened a big front on Western side and all our forces are engaged there. Why will we open two fronts?" he asked.

About elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Basit said, "Elections are not substitue for plebiscite. We believe so." He said Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took a "huge step" and came here with focus on peaceful development but unfortunately momentum of dialogue could not be maintained.

"We want peace through talks. Whenever India wants, dialogue will be resumed. We are not in a hurry, we are waiting," he said when asked when talks between the two countries could be resumed.

On when Pakistan would grant India Non-Discriminatory Market Access (NDMA) to facilitate enhanced bilateral trade, Basit said the matter could progress once the dialogue process resumes.