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Donning A Monarchy

Mansions, armed guards and unbridled lust—a don rules a city

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Donning A Monarchy
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Though said to keep his cool, his colleagues (who always address him as Bhai and Ji Bhai) never question his decisions. But they avoid him when he's in a bad mood. Says an aide, "In such a mood, he can simply ask us to kill some person or the other. But mostly, he doesn't shout or lose his temper." It's after his evening round of meetings which end at 8 pm that Dawood and associates, under heavy armed escort, head for his old house on Khayaban-e-Shamsheer in the Defence Officers Housing Authority in Karachi. Dawood's vehicle, often a Mercedes, is usually in the middle of the cavalcade and is escorted by at least 15 armed guards in two four-wheel-drive vehicles.

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Attired in white salwar-kameez, these guards look like private security men, but Dawood has himself many a time admitted to friends that they've been provided by the ISI. At his old house, Dawood entertains his friends. Sources say there usually are mujras conducted by top dancers from Pakistan's showbiz world. The revelry continues till it's time for the morning prayers. After which Dawood returns home.

Insiders claim that pimps always swarm around him: "He's mad about beautiful virgins. No showbiz woman is out of his reach. And he showers money on them. If the rate is Pakistani Rs 10,000 (Rs 8,300) per night for a girl, he'll pay ten times more." A few weeks ago, Dawood reportedly invited 48 top call girls to his suite at the Awari Lahore to entertain two influential friends.

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Lahore is already abuzz with his new love—an upcoming local model called Saba. Claims a source, "He's bought her a house and has gifted her a Rs 1 million (Rs 8.3 lakh) Honda VTI." Dawood doesn't forget his old flames either. His friends say he provides for a former Bollywood actress and the child she had with him. Other Mumbai actresses have also been linked to him. In fact, a leading actress recently came to see him in Karachi. Don Juan?

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