Even A Common Man In Karachi Knows Where Dawood Ibrahim Lives: Ex-Diplomat To NDTV

Every resident of Karachi is familiar with fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim's whereabouts in the Pakistani city, former Indian diplomat Ruchi Ghanashyam has said.

"Even a common man knows about Dawood Ibrahim's whereabouts in Karachi. Our driver once told us that one can first find (former Pakistan Prime Minister) Benazir Bhutto's house and if you go further down, there is Dawood Ibrahim's house," Ms Ghanashyam, who was the first Indian woman diplomat to be posted in Islamabad, said at the NDTV Creators Manch. 

"But Dawood does not have just one house in Karachi, he has several. I was a bit surprised but not anymore. It's in Pakistan's nature to hide the truth. Everyone knows this but no one will make an official comment," she added.

Dawood, who heads a vast and multifaceted illegal business empire, emerged as India's most wanted men after the 1993 Mumbai bombings in which 257 people were killed and 700 were injured.

Besides this, Dawood has been accused of masterminding other terror attacks and also faces multiple charges of money laundering and extortion. India and the US have also accused him of financing terror groups, including Al Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Taiba. 

India has long held that there is proof that Dawood has been living in Pakistan's largest city and financial capital - an assertion also confirmed by the United Nations. Pakistan, which had also denied Osama Bin Laden's presence in the country, has refuted the charge.

In 2020, however, the Pakistan government inadvertently mentioned Dawood's presence in Karachi. In a notification in August that year, it announced sanctions on key figures of terror outfits such as 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, and Dawood.

It claimed Dawood Ibrahim lives in "White House, Near Saudi Mosque, Clifton" in Karachi, and listed his other properties as "House Nu 37 - 30th Street - defence, Housing Authority, Karachi" and "Palatial bungalow in the hilly area of Noorabad in Karachi".

Islamabad, later, distanced itself from the addresses, saying it was not the source of the information.

"When Pakistan wanted to come out of the FATF (Financial Action Task Force)'s grey list, then this matter (Dawood's whereabouts) came to light. His addresses were mentioned in the FATF's list. Whenever talks are held between India and Pakistan, Pakistan never officially acknowledges anything," Ms Ghanashyam said.