The news of the alleged death of Dawood Ibrahim, India's most-wanted terrorist and the purported mastermind behind the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts, has ignited a flurry of speculation on the internet. Reports suggest that he was poisoned by unknown individuals on December 15 and subsequently succumbed to health complications on December 17. Given Pakistan's historical denial of Dawood Ibrahim's presence in the country, many are eagerly awaiting official confirmation of his demise.
However, a surprising statement attributed to Pakistan's caretaker PM Anwar ul Haq Kakar has surfaced on social media, leading many to believe that Dawood Ibrahim has indeed passed away. The message, which expresses condolences and attributes his death to poisoning, has been revealed to be fake upon closer examination. The viral message, supposedly from Mr. Kakar's account, read, "The Messiah of humanity, dear to every Pakistani heart, our beloved His Excellency Dawood Ibrahim passed away due to being poisoned by unknown [individuals]. He breathed his last in a hospital in Karachi. May Allah grant him the highest position in Jannat. Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un."
The username associated with the message does not match the official account of Anwar ul Haq. His last message on X was posted on December 16 where he condoled the death of Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait.
Dawood Ibrahim, a notorious figure in organized crime, has long evaded law enforcement, particularly in connection with the 1993 Mumbai bombings. Despite the widespread speculation surrounding his death, the Pakistani media has not reported on the matter, with the only source being a Pakistani journalist, Arzoo Kazmi, who herself relies on social media for information. Kazmi has linked Pakistan's recent internet disruption to Dawood Ibrahim's alleged demise, as the country experienced nationwide difficulties accessing social media platforms amid a scheduled virtual rally by former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI).
The uncertainty surrounding Dawood Ibrahim's reported death and the subsequent internet shutdown in Pakistan have fueled intense speculation and debate online, underscoring the complex and interconnected nature of modern information dissemination and its impact on global events.