India has said that its no "secret" that the man responsible for the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, Dawood Ibrahim, is in Pakistan and that Islamabad continues to be in denial mode when it comes to issues regarding terror.
Responding to WION's question regarding Dawood being in Pakistan, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "The location of Dawood Ibrahim is not a secret. Time and again for the last several years, we have presented to Pakistan a list of people who are in their country. We have asked repeatedly that he should be handed over. He is a UN-proscribed terrorist."
Explaining, "His imprint on the Mumbai blasts is very clear for all of us to see. Frankly, many people from media fraternity have managed to speak to him and there are clear links with Pakistan."
Ibrahim is wanted for the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts that killed 200 people and both US and India have designated him as a global terrorist. There is a bounty of $25 million on him.
"When we look at this episode of his presence and if we see how Pakistan has been trying to convince the international community on steps they claim they have taken against terrorists and terror groups operating from their soil, it is interesting that they claim to have taken action but when it comes to people against whom we have demanded action, they ignore and go in denial mode and in fact deny that these terrorists are even present in their country."
Dawood is known to have been living in Karachi. He has at least four properties in his name in the city, including one in the posh Clifton area.
This comes even as the US government on Thursday told a UK court that Dawood lives in Pakistan. American investigation agency FBI told Westminster Magistrates' Court during extradition of Jabir Motiwala that India's most-wanted is in Pakistan.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan foreign office spokesman Mohammad Faisal responding to a WION question during a weekly conference said, "Dawood Ibrahim is not, and I repeat, not in Pakistan."
US seeks to extradite Motiwala, a henchman of Dawood from UK on charges of extortion and money laundering. Motiwala was arrested by UK last year, and if extradited, could face 25 years jail in US.
— Zee Media Newsroom
