Is Most-Wanted Don Dawood Enjoying Refuge In Pak?

Dawood is at the top of India's most wanted list due the nature of the crimes attributed to him. He figures in a list of 20 fugitives that India wants Pakistan to hand over, and he is the key player used by the Pakistani intelligence establishment to provoke cross-border terrorism in India.

Interestingly, the Indian claim about Pakistan sheltering Dawood had been confirmed by General (retd) Pervez Musharraf in November 16, 2011, in an interview with NDTV news.

To a question, Musharraf had answered saying India's most wanted terrorist is being held in high esteem by many in Pakistan, thus suggesting that the don may be enjoying refuge in Pakistan. When asked about the prospects of Dawood's extradition, Musharraf had said although he can't confirm his presence in Pakistan, but the fact remains that there are many in Pakistan who think he did a very good job because Indians killed Muslims in Gujarat.

But the high-ups in Islamabad have constantly denied that Dawood was operating from Pakistan. Currently, he is on the most wanted list of Interpol for his involvement in organized crimes and ranks number 4 on the Forbes list of the World's Top 10 most dreaded criminals. He was had also declared a specially designated global terrorist by the U.S. state department due to his alleged Al Qaeda links. As per the U.S. treasury department's charge sheet, Dawood maintained close links with Osama bin Laden.
The U.S. treasury department, among its reasons for naming Dawood in the list of the world's worst terrorists stated intelligence reports of his connection with the Al Qaeda and the LeT.