`Dawood is king in Karachi'

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, SEPT. 10. The most-wanted underworld don of Mumbai, Dawood Ibrahim, is not only leading a luxurious life in Karachi, thanks to patronage of the Pakistani security agencies, but is also beginning to emerge as the ``unquestionable king'' of the City.

In a damning expose, a leading Pakistani English monthly Newsline, in its latest cover story, sought to establish that Dawood is being extended all the courtesies of a VVIP by the Pakistan Government as he is rated as the number one ``espionage operative'' for the military Government vis-a-vis India.

The story titled `Karachi's underground king' assumes significance as sheltering of Dawood by Pakistan was one of the issues raised by the Home Minister, Mr. L.K. Advani, during the visit of the Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, to India. Gen. Musharraf is believed to have flatly denied the charge. A section of the press had reported that Ibrahim had left for Dubai just a few days before the Pakistan President traveled to India and returned to Karachi a few days after the Agra summit.

``According to informed sources, Dawood is Pakistan's number one espionage operative, his men in Mumbai help him get whatever information he needs for Pakistan. Rumours have it that sometime his men in Karachi accompany Pakistan intelligence agents to the airports to scan arriving passengers and identify RAW agents. Both Dawood and his lieutenant, Chota Shakeel, are in constant touch with their people in India and are allegedly able to garner valuable information for local agencies,'' the magazine said.

This is not for the first time that the media has reported about the presence of Dawood in Karachi. Last year an Indian English weekly carried a similar cover story. A Pakistani English weekly also talked about the alleged secret operation by the Indian intelligence agency, RAW, to get hold of the don.

The magazine has printed photographs of some of the residential and commercial properties allegedly owned by Dawood and his followers. It said the rate at which Dawood was expanding his empire was a matter of serious concern to the various religious, sectarian and ethnic groups, including the powerful MQM.

``Ibrahim lives like a king. His home is a palatial house spread over 6000 sq ft with a pool, tennis courts, snooker room and a private hi-tech gym. He wears designer clothes, drives top of the line Mercedes and luxurious four-wheel drives and sports a half a million rupees Patek Phillipe wristwatch,'' it said.

While Dawood stays in Clifton, Chota Shakeel, who was rumoured to have been injured in a shoot out in Karachi recently stays in a palatial house in Karachi's Defence Housing Authority guarded by men in ``civvies'', the magazine said.

Another of his associates, Jamal Memon alias Tiger Memon, said to be the main ``perpetrator'' of Mumbai blasts, owns among other things a multi-story building topped with a glittering glass crown called ``Kashif Crown'' in Karachi's main Sharah-e- Faisal Boulevard, it said. The building, which was constructed violating all building by-laws, has been specially permitted by the Pakistan Government despite protests from NGO, Shehri, it said.

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Section  : International
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