Pakistan releases statement about Dawood Ibrahim; lies after admitting to his 3 safehouses

A day after admitting that it has sheltered India's most-wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, Pakistan on Sunday backtracked from its stance and said that the media reports are 'baseless and misleading. Issuing a statement, Pakistan's foreign ministry rejected that Dawood is in their country, despite mentioning his three Karachi addresses in the UNSC's list released on August 18. In an attempt to escape from FATF blacklisting, Imran Khan's country admitted Dawood's presence; the underworld don was responsible for the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts in which 257 people were killed and 700 injured. 

Contradicting its own admission, Pakistan's foreign ministry said that the information in the notifications of August 18 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."

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Pakistan's Foreign Ministry statement blatantly stated: 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 on its territory, based on the information contained in the notifications, is baseless and misleading."

It added: "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."

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Pakistan admits Dawood in Karachi

As Pakistan imposed sanctions on 88 terrorists complying to the new UNSC's list, in the order issued by Pakistan government - dated 18 August - finally admitted to sheltering gangster Dawood Ibrahim, revealing his Karachi address. The order revealed Dawood's three Karachi-based addresses including his residence named 'White House'. Apart from Dawood, Pakistan has listed Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar, ordering the seizure of all of their properties and freezing of bank accounts.

Previously in July, bank accounts of 26/11 mastermind - Hafeez Saeed who has been lodged in Kot Lakhpat jail for terror financing was restored. Ahead of the FATF plenary meet, on February 12, Saeed was convicted under ATA Section 11-F (2) and 11-N. On the other hand,  Pakistan allegedly 'lost'  Pakistani terrorist Masood Azhar - the mastermind of the 2019 Pulwama terror attack - and his family. 

Pakistan also issued sweeping financial sanctions against Afghanistan’s Taliban, just as the group is in the midst of the U.S.-led peace process. The orders, identified dozens of individuals, including the Taliban’s chief peace negotiator Abdul Ghani Baradar and several members of the Haqqani family, including Sirajuddin, the current head of the Haqqani network and deputy head of the Taliban. The list of sanctioned groups included others besides the Taliban and was in keeping with a five-year-old United Nations resolution sanctioning the Afghan group and freezing their assets.

READ | Pakistan reveals Dawood Ibrahim's Karachi home 'White House'; 88 terrorists sanctioned

Pakistan wants to avoid FATF blacklisting

The orders were issued as part of Pakistan's efforts to avoid being blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which monitors money laundering and tracks terrorist groups' activities. Last year the Paris-based group put Islamabad on a grey list. Until now only Iran and North Korea are blacklisted, which severely restricts a country's international borrowing capabilities. Pakistan is trying to get off the grey list. 

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