United Nations, October 22, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India has criticised a United Nations special rapporteur for describing wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim as the leader of an “India-based” criminal organisation, saying the omission of key facts was regrettable and damaged the credibility of the world body.
Speaking at the UN on Wednesday, Raghoo Puri, First Secretary at India’s UN Mission, accused Ben Saul, the Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights, of including “particularly glaring inaccuracies” in a report published in July.
The report described Ibrahim as the leader of the “India-based” D-Company criminal gang with terrorist links and said the UN Security Council had sanctioned him for association with al-Qaeda.
Puri argued that the description could create a misleading impression by failing to clarify that Ibrahim fled India long before his 2003 listing by the Security Council and remains wanted by Indian authorities for terror attacks dating back to 1993.
“Read in isolation, this line paints a very different picture from the actual reality,” Puri said.
He said the Security Council’s listing already contained information about the organisation and its leader, and criticised Saul for not reflecting that context in his report.
“Not mentioning this fact is regrettable and such incompetence on the part of special mandate holders does this organisation (the UN) tremendous harm,” Puri said.
He added that India had sought an Interpol Red Notice for Ibrahim and said the UN listing indicated that he resided in the same country where al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was found and killed by US forces in 2011.
Puri also stressed that terrorism could not be justified under the human rights framework and urged the UN to maintain high standards of impartiality and integrity amid allegations concerning the special rapporteur’s office.
Separately, he rejected Pakistan’s remarks concerning Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, calling them propaganda for political gain. He reiterated that both Union territories were an integral part of India.
The report has also drawn scrutiny over allegations concerning Saul’s funding. According to the watchdog group UN Watch, he received funding from multiple institutions and contributors, including China. Such funding claims do not, by themselves, establish wrongdoing.
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