India
oi-Ashish Rana
India has strongly criticised a United Nations report for describing Dawood Ibrahim-led D-Company as an “India-based” criminal group. New Delhi called the description factually incorrect, arguing that the fugitive underworld don fled India long before he was listed by the UN in 2003 for his links to Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.
India criticized a UN report for describing Dawood Ibrahim’s D-Company as India-based, calling it factually incorrect as the fugitive fled India long before his 2003 UN listing for Al-Qaeda affiliations.
India Flags ‘Glaring Inaccuracies’ In UN Report
India’s First Secretary at its Permanent Mission to the UN, Raghoo Puri, raised the issue on Wednesday, October 21, in the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly. He was responding to a report by Ben Saul, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms while Countering Terrorism.
“My delegation has been pointing out in other forums as well our serious concern at the unacceptable situation of the SR (Special Rapporteur) releasing reports with factual inaccuracies, while not being held accountable for them,” Puri said.
He argued that incorrect information in UN reports could damage the organisation’s credibility and create problems for member states.
India Says Dawood Fled Before 2003 Listing
Puri objected to the report’s reference to the leader of the “India-based D-Company” being listed by the UN Security Council in 2003 because of his association with Al-Qaeda.
“This is clearly written in the narrative summary of reasons of listing under the 1267 sanctions regime,” he said, referring to the UN sanctions framework targeting Al-Qaeda and associated individuals and entities.
Puri stressed that Dawood Ibrahim had been wanted in India in connection with terror attacks since 1993. He said the report failed to explain that Dawood had left India before his UN listing.
“Let me correct it for the record. This individual fled India much before the 2003 listing, and it was during this period from outside our country that he was listed for being associated with Al Qaeda and with Osama bin Laden,” he added.
India Points To Dawood’s Reported Presence In Pakistan
Puri also referred to Dawood’s reported residence in the same country where Osama bin Laden was found and killed, pointing towards Pakistan.
Bin Laden, the Al-Qaeda leader, was killed by US Navy SEALs during a raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in 2011.
Calling the omission in the report regrettable, Puri said, “Not mentioning this fact is regrettable, and such incompetence on part of special mandate holders does this organisation tremendous harm.”
India’s objection centred on how D-Company was described in the report and the need to reflect the circumstances of Dawood’s departure from the country and his subsequent UN listing accurately.
