United Nation: India has vehemently criticised a United Nations special rapporteur over a counter-terrorism report, accusing him of factual errors and bias. India objected after the report described fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim as the leader of an “India-based” criminal group, saying he had fled India and lives in Pakistan, ANI reported.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee, Indian diplomat Raghoo Puri objected to Special Rapporteur Ben Saul’s description of Dawood Ibrahim as the head of the “India-based” D-Company gang. Puri said it was unacceptable that reports containing wrong facts were released without accountability.
“We express serious concern at the unacceptable situation of the SR releasing reports with factual inaccuracies, while not being held accountable for them. This presents Member States with a fait accompli, which is unfortunate for this organization that is facing challenges of legitimacy,” Puri said.
He said the report gave an incomplete picture by mentioning only that the UN Security Council listed D-Company’s leader in 2003 for links with Al-Qaeda.
“The report mentions that in 2003, the Security Council listed the leader of one criminal group, D-Company, for association with Al-Qaeda. Read in isolation, this line paints a very different picture from the actual reality. This organization and its listed leader, Dawood Ibrahim, has been wanted in India for terror attacks since 1993. This is clearly written in the narrative summary of reasons of listing under the 1267 sanctions regime,” he said.
Dawood In Pakistan
Puri said Dawood Ibrahim left India long before the 2003 UN listing and was listed while he was outside the country. He said Ibrahim is still wanted in India and, according to the UN listing, lives in Pakistan—the country where Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was found and killed.
“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. To date, he remains a wanted criminal in my country, and as per the UN’s listing entry, resides in the same country where Osama bin Laden was found and neutralized,” Puri added.
India Rejects Pakistan’s Claim
India also said some countries were misusing human rights to defend terrorism. “It seems to have become fashionable for sponsors of terror to use human rights and the framework of counterterrorism to justify their misdeeds. Human rights framework cannot be the refuge of the perpetrators of terror and those who propagate radicalization and extremism. Terrorism can never be justified,” Puri said.
Responding to Pakistan, Puri called its remarks on Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh “pure propaganda.” He said Pakistan’s military was the real power in the country and was making such statements for political gains.
“Regarding the statement just made by the delegate of Pakistan, everyone in this room knows that what has been mentioned against my country, including about the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, is pure propaganda made for very narrow political gains. And these have been on account of the actual rulers of Pakistan, which is its military,” he said.
“I would like to reiterate for the record that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an inalienable part of India, and have been so, and will always remain. I would not like to dignify the statement by the Pakistani delegate with any further comment,” Puri added.