India’s Permanent Mission to the UN blasted a July report by special counter‑terrorism rapporteur Ben Saul, which claimed Dawood Ibrahim was based in India. The mission, led by First Secretary Raghu Puri, issued a statement on Oct. 22, 2026 clarifying that the notorious gangster actually lives in Pakistan’s Abbottabad, the same city where Osama Bin Laden was neutralised.
Saul’s report, part of the UN’s 1267 sanctions regime review, mistakenly cited a 2003 Security Council listing that placed Ibrahim on a watch list for alleged ties to al‑Qaeda. The report omitted that India had been pursuing Ibrahim for terror attacks since 1993, a fact the UN narrative ignored.
India has long argued that Pakistani authorities have sheltered a cadre of terrorists, including those behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Puri warned that the misstatement could undermine international efforts to hold criminals accountable.
The delegation demanded the UN withdraw the erroneous claim and hold Saul accountable for the misinformation. "The highest standards of probity must be maintained," Puri said, adding that Pakistan’s rhetoric is "pure propaganda for narrow political gains."
India’s complaint will be forwarded to the UN Human Rights Council, where a review of the rapporteur’s findings is scheduled for December. Meanwhile, the Indian government is preparing a diplomatic letter to the UN Secretary‑General urging corrective action.