A new biography of Dawood Ibrahim, the
gangland figure from Mumbai who is wanted in India on
various charges, says he is leading a prisoner-like life
in Karachi.
The Pakistani authorities have repeatedly
denied such allegations.
‘The Most Dangerous Man in the World,’
which is what author Gilbert King has chosen to name his
“unauthorised” biography, said in an interview
published in India Abroad, the New York-based journal,
that Mr Ibrahim is not allowed to move freely. After his
expulsion from UAE, no country other than Pakistan was
willing to accord him asylum. “But his power and
capability in the underworld remain undiminished; he can
still do what he wants,” the author claimed.
While the book may make the author some
money, it is bound to be attacked for its many mistakes.
It alleges that Mr Ibrahim and the ISI have been partners
since 1993 when the gangland leader agreed to an ISI suggestion
that India should be struck for permitting the demolition
of the Babri Mosque at Ayodhya. The book says the mosque
was located in Bombay. It also calls it “the Babri
Masjid mosque.” The author believes that Mr Ibrahim
is as dangerous as Osama Bin Laden though few in the West
know him. He has set himself the task of “introducing”
the Indian fugitive to the West through his book.
Mr King is by profession a fashion photographer
whose work has appeared in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar
and Cosmopolitan. He came to Bombay to write a book on
the movie industry but says everywhere he went he ran
into the name Dawood Ibrahim. He got curious and in the
end decided to write a book. The author took one year
to write it but never visited India or Pakistan during
this period, nor has he interviewed Mr Ibrahim or any
of his companions or friends. He never spoke to police
officials in Bombay either who have several thick dossiers
on Mr Ibrahim’s alleged and proven deeds.
The book tries to connect the killing
in Karachi of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter,
to Mr Ibrahim. The author’s theory is that the American
reporter was trying to ferret out information about Mr
Ibrahim whom the author gives the title of the “King
of Karachi”. Mr Ibrahim was alarmed and had Mr Pearl
kidnapped and killed. No one had so far linked the Pearl
murder to the Indian underground figure. Mr Ibrahim is
also credited with having a hand in opium smuggling from
Afghanistan which is said to account for 75 percent of
the world’s drug supply.
As for the Mumbai don’s future,
the author says for now he is safe in Pakistan but his
fate could be affected on account of the close cooperation
that exists between the US and Pakistan in the war against
terrorism. He is not worried about a backlash from Mr
Ibrahim’s men because of the book. “I don’t
expect any problems in the future either,” he asserted.
