By IANS
Mumbai : Pakistan has neither confirmed nor replied to Interpol communications about the alleged presence in its territory of Indian underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, a top Interpol official said Tuesday.
Interpol General Secretary Ronald K. Noble said that his organisation could not dictate terms to sovereign countries, and added that no country should allow “wanted” criminals to move about freely.
The official, in Mumbai for a global meet on piracy and counterfeit of intellectual property, was responding to a query about Dawood Ibrahim, who is wanted in India for the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai that killed 257 people.
“We have communicated to the specific country informing them about the specific individual who is wanted in many other countries for criminal offences. However, that country has neither confirmed nor replied to our communication,” Noble told IANS, without naming any country or individual.
India has sought Interpol’s assistance for the extradition of several wanted criminals who are reportedly in Pakistan since the two countries do not have an extradition pact.
“All that the Interpol can do is to articulate to the specific country about the problem, as we cannot dictate on them,” Noble said in a helpless tone.
Noble added that Interpol’s agenda was to request member-countries to “either extradite or prosecute the wanted criminals on their territory.
“In order to get a person arrested in any country, the Interpol has to go through their national systems, since we do not have any control over sovereign nations,” Noble asserted.
Presently 186 countries are members of the Interpol.
“Individual countries must safeguard their citizens from criminals who have been declared wanted for criminal or other heinous offences in many other countries,” Noble said.
He added that in situations where a country was reluctant to extradite or prosecute the criminal, then Interpol could only leave it to the judiciary of that particular country.
Noble declined to reply when asked if Interpol would issue Red Corner notices against gangsters in Pakistan who are wanted in India. “I cannot respond to questions based on investigations currently underway into this matter.”