Chhota Shakeel, close to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, has termed the claims of his boss's death due to poison as rumours. He claimed that Dawood is completely healthy and fit and such rumors are sometimes spread with bad intentions.
Rumors were spreading on social media that Dawood Ibrahim had been poisoned and was admitted to a hospital in Karachi.
Many journalists of Pakistan have also tweeted about this while supporting these rumours. However, Shakeel claimed to TOI that the report was false. The underworld fugitive, who is currently associated with the ISI, claimed that he had met Dawood in Pakistan and that he was absolutely healthy.
Dawood is a guest of ISI. The TOI article said that intelligence sources have refuted the notion that any associate of Dawood Ibrahim might have poisoned him. The main reason for this is that Dawood remained under strict surveillance as a guest of Pakistani agencies for a long time. He is safe because of his faithful protection.
Pakistani intelligence considers Dawood a valuable asset and sees him as a tool for Islamic terror against India. ISI keeps a close watch on Dawood because he is also on America's radar.
It is possible that he may have been admitted to the hospital. Nevertheless, it is possible that he may have just been admitted to a military base hospital. Many enemies of India have recently been killed by unknown assailants in Pakistan. According to sources, the Pakistani spy service is worried that some of its assets could be “hit” ahead of India’s Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
Apart from the concern about Dawood's health, a rumor spread in Pakistan that veteran cricketer Javed Miandad has been placed under house arrest. The clampdown has been tightened on him and the underworld don too.