‘He has done a lot for Muslims’: Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad praises underworld don Dawood Ibrahim
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The former Pakistan captain's son Junaid is married to Dawood's daughter Mahrukh and the two families share close ties
Former Pakistan cricketer Javed Miandad has stirred the cauldron of controversy by praising underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and describing him as someone who had done a "lot of Muslims" over the years.
Miandad's son Junaid is married to Dawood's daughter Mahrukh and the two families share close ties. The wedding took place in 2005 in Dubai with strict security arrangements in place.
“I have known him for a long time, from Dubai. It is an honour for me that his daughter married my son. My daughter-in-law is very well-educated; she studied in a convent school and went to a renowned university,” Miandad told journalist Hassan Nisar on the latter's YouTube channel.
The controversial batter said those outside had a flawed perception of the underworld don, his family and how they operated.
“Understanding the real Dawood Ibrahim is not easy. The way people think about the family, they are not like that,” remarked Miandad.
"He (Dawood) has done a lot for Muslims. It will be remembered for long," he added.
Who is Dawood Ibrahim?
Dawood is a wanted terrorist in India, responsible for the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai that claimed the lives of 260 people. His underworld crime syndicate is known as the 'D-company' and operates in the shadows, conducting a proxy war against the neighbouring country of India.
In 2003, the US placed Dawood on the list of global terrorists. Moreover, the US Department of the Treasury Office has forbidden US financial entities from working with him. He has a smuggling route shared with and used by al-Qaeda.
Dawood Ibrahim was also one of the suspects in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which killed over 170 people. In 2010, Ibrahim made it to Forbes' World's 10 Most Wanted list after many attempts to locate him failed.
Dawood is believed to be living in the affluent Clifton locality in Karachi but Pakistani government continues to deny that the terrorist lives on its soil. Up until Osama bin Laden's assassination by the US military, the Pakistan government had similarly maintained that the al-Qaeda chief was not on its soil.
(With inputs from agencies)