Pakistani intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is reportedly pushing the profiles of Pakistan-based gangsters Abid Jatt and Shahzad Bhatti to divert attention from Dawood Ibrahim, whose network has come under intensified pressure after Indian security agencies dismantled several linked modules in recent months. The strategy, according to officials, is a calculated recalibration aimed at keeping D-company's narcotics and terror-financing operations out of the crosshairs of Indian agencies.

How the Strategy Unfolded

The pattern emerged during a probe by the Delhi Police Special Cell, which busted underworld-linked modules that investigators traced back to the Dawood gang. A detailed investigation led officials to Shahzad Bhatti, who was reportedly running these modules. Bhatti, a former Dubai-based social media influencer, was allegedly recruited by the D-syndicate and tasked with enlisting young operatives via online platforms.

During the probe, the name of Abid Jatt — projected publicly as a Pakistan-based don heading a separate criminal syndicate — surfaced repeatedly. Recruits were allegedly instructed to put up posters of Jatt at various locations across parts of north India and actively promote his profile, according to officials.

The ISI's Objective, According to Officials

An Intelligence Bureau official said the poster campaign was not merely about glorifying a gangster. 'The ISI is keen to keep Dawood's name out of the spotlight for the time being,' the official said. Investigators believe the primary goal was to shift public and agency attention away from Dawood and his operations.

Officials note that whenever Dawood's name surfaces prominently, it invites scrutiny of his alleged links with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) — links that Indian agencies claim to have documented over the years. Against this backdrop, the ISI is believed to want to avoid renewed focus on both Dawood and these terror outfits, particularly as the groups seek to rebuild capabilities following the setback during Operation Sindoor.

Dawood's Role in Terror Financing

Officials say Dawood remains critical to the ISI's financial architecture. Revenue from narcotics trafficking — a primary income stream for the D-company — is allegedly diverted to fund LeT and JeM operations. 'The ISI just wants the D-syndicate to focus on pushing drugs and earning money so that terror operations against India can be funded,' another official said.

If Dawood's name remains in public discourse, Indian agencies stay alert, potentially disrupting his drug supply chains and financial networks — an outcome the ISI is keen to avoid, officials added.

Bhatti and Jatt: Frontmen, Not Independent Operators

Officials are emphatic that neither Bhatti nor Jatt operates independently. An examination of the financial channels, logistics, and infrastructure used by both individuals indicates they rely on the same organisational structure traditionally associated with the D-gang, according to investigators.

Bhatti has allegedly been paying recruits as little as ₹10,000 to put up Jatt's posters and pass on logistics information about military installations and crowded public spaces. He reportedly also hired individuals to kill police personnel in Uttar Pradesh, allegedly promising ₹3 lakh per officer, officials claimed. Bhatti has also reportedly been in contact with Dawood's associates in India and has been supplying arms to them.

Intelligence agencies have cautioned against reading the sudden prominence of Bhatti and Jatt as a sign that Dawood has become inactive. The capabilities attributed to both figures appear 'highly exaggerated,' officials said, adding that the ISI's objective is a temporary distraction — not a structural change in the D-company's operations. How long this misdirection holds will depend on the vigilance of Indian security agencies tracking the network's financial and logistical threads.