At Delhi Interpol meet, Pakistan dodges questions on Dawood, Hafiz Saeed - WATCH

New Delhi: Pakistan on Tuesday (October 18, 2022) refused to comment on the extraction of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed to India. Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) chief Mohsin Butt, who is part of a two-member delegation from Islamabad participating in the 90th General Assembly of the Interpol in Delhi, refused to answer questions on the whereabouts of Dawood and Hafiz Saeed, both of whom are among terrorists most wanted by Indian security agencies. 

On being asked whether Pakistan will hand over Dawood and Hafiz Saeed to India, Butt remained silent. 

WATCH:

#WATCH | Pakistan's director-general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Mohsin Butt, attending the Interpol conference in Delhi, refuses to answer when asked if they will handover underworld don Dawood Ibrahim & Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed to India. pic.twitter.com/GRKQWvPNA1 — ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2022

Butt is in Delhi to attend the 90th General Assembly of Interpol, which is being held from October 18 to October 21. The meeting is being attended by delegations from 195 Interpol member countries comprising ministers, police chiefs of countries, heads of national central bureaus and senior police officers. 

The General Assembly is Interpol's supreme governing body and meets once a year to take key decisions related to its functioning.

The Pakistani delegation's participation comes amid tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad over cross-border terrorism and Pakistan's efforts to internationalise the Kashmir issue at various global forums including the recently concluded UN General Assembly. 

High time that world comes together to defeat terrorism: PM Modi at Interpol meeting

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Interpol's Assembly and talked about many emerging harmful globalized threats that the world faces such as terrorism, corruption, drug trafficking, poaching and organised crime. 

"The pace of change of these dangers is faster than earlier. When threats are global, the response cannot be just local! It is high time that the world comes together to defeat these threats," he said.

Throwing light on the evils of transnational terrorism, Prime Minister Modi remarked that India has been combating it for several decades, even before the world recognised it. 

"We knew the price of safety and security. Thousands of our people made the ultimate sacrifice in this fight," Modi said.

"There can be no safe havens for the corrupt, terrorists, drug cartels,  poaching gangs or organized crime. Such crimes against people in one place are crimes against everyone, crimes against humanity," he emphasized.

Addressing the INTERPOL General Assembly in New Delhi. https://t.co/JrbpZ9hLq6 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 18, 2022

He also stated that Police and law enforcement agencies need to devise procedures and protocols to increase cooperation. 

"Interpol can help by speeding up Red Corner Notices for fugitive offenders," he said.

"A safe and secure world is our shared responsibility. When the forces of good cooperate, the forces of crime cannot operate," Modi added.

(With agency inputs)