Dawood Ibrahim alive and well in Karachi, says crime writer Hussain Zaidi

Bengaluru: Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is healthy, active, and living under state protection near the Karachi port in Pakistan, veteran crime journalist and author Hussain Zaidi revealed at the Dead Write Bangalore Literature Festival on Sunday.

Speaking at a session titled ‘The Dawood Saga Continues’ at the Bangalore International Centre (BIC), Zaidi dismissed recurring media rumours regarding the fugitive’s critical health and deathbed confinement.

“It is an optical illusion and an oft-repeated lie,” Zaidi said, in conversation with Shailendra Jha. “Dawood is hale and hearty. He merely suffered a minor bout of food poisoning some time ago and was briefly admitted to Prince Aly Khan Hospital. 

“I have it from his right-hand man that Dawood is hearty and living near the Karachi Port. The location is entirely strategic. If India ever attempts a surgical strike or an invasion to capture him, he has an immediate, seamless escape route via the sea or air. He is far from dying,” he said.

Zaidi described Pakistan’s relationship with the don as a form of Stockholm Syndrome. “They are trapped in a cage of their own making,” Zaidi explained. “They cannot let him go, they cannot be proud of him, and they cannot openly admit he is there. Yet, he remains far too useful for their proxy agendas against India.”

When asked about the psychological pressure and safety risks of reporting on ruthless gangsters, Zaidi emphasised the necessity of maintaining a strict, uncompromising professional boundary.

“The Mumbai mafia loves to build a mythology around themselves and co-opt journalists. They will invite you over for biryani on Eid or invite you to weddings,” Zaidi said. “My simple rule: I never intermingle. I have never wished them Eid Mubarak, I never attend their gatherings, and I switch off my phone during festivals. You cannot wine and dine with them if you want to remain objective.”

Zaidi said that filmmakers often distort real events to satisfy celebrity egos. “Sometimes the book is not just changed; it is mutilated. I once protested to a director for turning a ruthless killer into a do-gooder hero. The director flatly told me, ‘I have invested 50 crores on this movie and I have to pamper the hero’s ego. You did your job writing the book, now let me do mine.”