Pak ‘hoodwinking’ world community with claims of acting against terror

New Delhi, July 4 (IANS) India on Thursday dismissed Pakistan's claims of cracking down on terrorists and terror groups as "hoodwinking" the international community and accused it of maintaining "double standards", after reports that the US government has confirmed in a London court that fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is in Karachi.

"The location of Dawood Ibrahim is not a secret. Time and again for the last several years India has presented to Pakistan a list of people who are there, and we have asked repeatedly that he be handed over. He (Dawood) is a UN-proscribed terrorist whose imprint on the Mumbai attacks is very clear. His linkages are in Pakistan, which is very clear," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at his weekly media briefing here.

Kumar said Pakistan is "trying to convince the international community on steps they claim they have taken on terrorists and terror groups operating on their soil".

But when it comes to taking action against those terrorists that India has demanded, Islamabad goes into a "denial mode" and denies they exist and their presence in their country, he said.

"Basically it is a case of double standards and Pakistan stands completely exposed on its stand on taking action on terrorist groups," Kumar said.

According to reports, the US has requested the UK for the extradition of Dawood's henchman Jabir Motiwala, a Pakistani national, who was arrested by Scotland Yard's Extradition Unit in August last year.

Motiwala has been charged by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with money laundering, extortion and conspiracy to import unlawful substances such as heroin.

Dawood is wanted in India in connection with the 1993 serial bombings in Mumbai that killed 257 people.