Karachi: India's external intelligence gathering agency - The Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)- has been accused of having a hand in the destruction of a multi-storied complex allegedly owned by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

Well-placed intelligence sources and officials in the Pakistani establishment told Pakistani daily 'The News' that the bomb explosion at the Kawish Crown Plaza in Karachi's Shahrah-e-Faisal business district that killed two people was not carried out by any jihadi outfit or an anti-US group.

"We have ruled out the possibility of involvement of the jihadis or al-Qaida elements in this blast as the extremists had no interest in the Kawish Crown Plaza," a senior Pakistani intelligence source said on condition of anonymity.

"Till date, the jihadis targeted West-oriented targets like US consulate, French engineers and petrol pumps of foreign franchises," he added.

The sources disclosed that the plaza was targeted by RAW because they (RAW) believed Dawood Ibrahim owned the building. Ibrahim is wanted by the Indian government for his alleged involvement in the 1993 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai that killed nearly 300 people and maimed over 2000 others.

The actual motive behind the blast was not massive destruction of life and property. The bomb went off well before office hours. "If they (the terrorists) wanted to, they could have easily raised the death toll by exploding the device after 9 am. Their motive was just to spread panic and terror," one investigator told the paper.

The RAW was also responsible for other acts of sabotage in Pakistan, including the two bomb blasts at Hyderabad and Quetta. Such acts suggested that RAW was carefully selecting and achieving the destruction of multi-dimensional targets, the sources added.

"The RAW has given a message to Dawood and his 'bosses' (read Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence) that he is not safe even in Pakistan," said the sources.

"The RAW network in Pakistan is strengthening day-by-day as some of the main parties covertly supported its agents," they concluded.

ANI