New Delhi has strongly rebuked a UN special rapporteur for describing Dawood Ibrahim-led D-Company as an “India-based” criminal group, accusing the official of making “glaring inaccuracies” and warning that such incompetence causes tremendous harm to the world body.
First Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Raghoo Puri, delivered the rebuttal on Wednesday in the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly, responding to a report by Ben Saul, the 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 such reports present member states with a fait accompli, describing it as an unfortunate situation for an organisation already facing challenges to its legitimacy.
“It is in this context that we would like to point out some particularly glaring inaccuracies as far as my country is concerned,” Puri said.
Taking issue with Saul’s report, Puri pointed to a passage stating that the UN Security Council listed the leader of “the India-based D-Company” in 2003 for association with Al-Qaeda.
“Read in isolation, this line paints a very different picture from the actual reality,” Puri said.
Strongly rejecting the description of D-Company as India-based, Puri said the criminal organisation and its listed leader, Dawood Ibrahim, had been wanted in India in connection with terror attacks since 1993.
“This is clearly written in the narrative summary of reasons of listing under the 1267 sanctions regime,” he said, referring to the UN Security Council’s Al-Qaeda sanctions regime.
“Not mentioning this fact is regrettable, and such incompetence on part of special mandate holders does this organisation tremendous harm,” Puri said.
“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.
Puri said Dawood Ibrahim remained a wanted criminal in India and, according to the UN listing, resided in the same country where Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was found and killed, in an apparent reference to Pakistan.
Bin Laden was killed by US Navy SEALs in a raid in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad in 2011.
