New Delhi, Oct 22: India has strongly criticised a UN special rapporteur over alleged factual inaccuracies and bias in a counter-terrorism report, asserting that fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim remains wanted in India and resides in Pakistan.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Indian diplomat Raghoo Puri expressed serious concern over reports containing factual inaccuracies, saying the lack of accountability for such errors undermines the credibility of the United Nations.
The remarks followed a report by UN Special Rapporteur Ben Saul, which described Dawood Ibrahim as the leader of the “India-based” D-Company criminal gang with terrorist links.
Objecting to the description, Puri said Dawood had been wanted in India in connection with terror attacks since 1993 and had left the country before being listed by the UN Security Council in 2003 for association with Al-Qaeda.
“Not mentioning this fact is regrettable,” he said, adding that such inaccuracies by special mandate holders caused harm to the organisation.
Puri said Dawood continued to be a wanted criminal in India and, according to the UN listing, resided in Pakistan, where Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was found and killed by US forces in 2011.
India also criticised what it described as attempts to use human rights and counter-terrorism frameworks to justify terrorism.
“Human rights framework cannot be the refuge of the perpetrators of terror and those who propagate radicalisation and extremism. Terrorism can never be justified,” Puri said.
Responding to remarks by the Pakistani delegation on Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the Indian diplomat dismissed the allegations as propaganda aimed at narrow political gains.
He reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were integral parts of India.
The remarks came a day after India told the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee that human rights should not be used as an instrument of political pressure or selective targeting of countries.
Delivering India’s statement on enforced or involuntary disappearances, Ministry of External Affairs Deputy Secretary Barkha Tamrakar highlighted the constitutional and institutional safeguards available in India to address allegations of human rights violations.
India also called for accountability, transparency and cooperation in addressing enforced disappearances.
