Dawood's address is Karachi: Pakistan admits, seizes property

Pakistan has finally admitted that Dawood Ibrahim, the most wanted underworld don who is accused of the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, resides in Karachi.

The admission came as Pakistan imposed tough financial sanctions on 88 banned terror groups and their leaders, including Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar, and Dawood, ordering the seizure of all their properties and freezing of bank accounts, media reports suggest.

The action comes as part of Pakistan’s efforts to move out of the grey list of Paris-based terror financing watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The FATF had put Pakistan on the grey list in June 2018 and asked it to implement a plan of action by the end of 2019, but the deadline was extended later due to COVID-19 pandemic.

The Pakistan government issued two notifications on August 18 announcing sanctions on key figures of terror outfits such as 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Saeed, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Azhar, and underworld don Dawood.

Reports suggest quoting Pakistan authorities that the 59-year-old don’s residence is located at “White House, near Saudi Mosque, Clifton” in Karachi. Apart from this, other properties belonging to him including one at “30th Street – defence, Housing Authority, Karachi” and another in Noorabad, Karachi, reported NDTV.

Pakistan has for decades denied Dawood’s presence in Karachi as against India’s claim that he lived there. Dawood, who heads a vast and multifaceted illegal business, had emerged as India’s most wanted terrorist after the 1993 Mumbai bombings.

(With inputs from agencies)

Related news: Dawood Ibrahim, wife test COVID positive; brother Anees denies reports