Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf while almost admitting that fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim was in his country has said that Islamabad would never assist New Delhi in its search for the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts mastermind.

In an interview to Pakistani TV channel, Musharraf slyly backed Dawood and said,"India has been killing Muslims and Dawood Ibrahim has been reacting."

"India has been accusing Pakistan for long. Why should we now become good and assist them? I don't know where Dawood is. He must be here, somewhere," Musharraf added.

Pakistan has consistently denied about Dawood residing there, despite India maintaining that that he indeed lives in a palatial house in Karachi.

Musharraf's remarks almost coincided with outgoing Home Secretary's Rajiv Mehrishi statement that Dawood was indeed in Pakistan and the neighbouring country was creating hurdles in getting him back to India.

Mehrishi said the government is taking all required action so that Ibrahim could be brought back to India.

"Dawood Ibrahim is in Pakistan. That country has given him shelter. That country is also putting hurdles in bringing him back to India to face the law," he said.

"Whatever action is required, we are taking. We will get him. The process is on. But the attitude of the Pakistan government is not in conformity with the international law. Pakistan is working against India. The legal process is on. We will get him at an opportune time," he said.

Ibrahim is the main accused in the 1993 serial bomb blasts case in Mumbai in which around 260 people were killed, and more than 700 were injured.

In April, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had stated there was no doubt that Ibrahim was still in Pakistan. During the last 10 years, India has sent several dossiers to Pakistan in this regard, naming Ibrahim as the accused in the Mumbai blasts case.

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