Islamabad– Pakistan on Thursday clarified that Tahawwur Hussain Rana, recently extradited to India from the United States in connection with the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, should be considered solely a Canadian national, as he has not renewed his Pakistani-origin documents in the last two decades.
“Regarding the Tahawwur Rana matter, we have communicated our stance concerning his Canadian nationality. According to our records, he has not applied for the renewal of his Pakistani-origin documents for the past twenty years. I would like to reiterate that position,” said Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan, spokesperson for the Pakistan Foreign Office, during the weekly press briefing.
India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) announced on Thursday that it had successfully secured Rana’s extradition “after years of sustained and concerted efforts to bring the key conspirator behind the 2008 mayhem to justice.”
Rana, a 64-year-old Canadian national born in Pakistan, was brought to New Delhi after being held in judicial custody in the U.S. under proceedings initiated as per the India-U.S. Extradition Treaty. The extradition was finalized after he exhausted all legal options to resist the move.
Rana is alleged to have maintained close ties with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and is accused of conspiring with David Coleman Headley (also known as Daood Sayed Gilani), operatives of the designated terrorist organizations Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HUJI), and other Pakistan-based co-conspirators to carry out the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, which left 166 people dead and over 238 injured.
He faces charges of criminal conspiracy, waging war against India, murder, forgery, and violations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Despite the gravity of the accusations, Pakistan has distanced itself from the extradition. “We will provide further updates in due course,” Khan said, signaling Islamabad’s cautious interest in the case.
Rana’s extradition is expected to play a critical role in strengthening India’s case linking Pakistan-based actors to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
India has repeatedly accused Pakistan of complicity in the attacks and has submitted multiple dossiers supporting its claims.
Rana’s involvement was corroborated by David Coleman Headley, a childhood friend and one of the main accused in the case. Headley testified via video conference before a Mumbai special court in 2016, where he detailed his links to Pakistan and described how he operated in coordination with Rana, including securing his approval to open a business front in Mumbai for their operations.
According to the NIA’s charge sheet, Rana provided logistical, financial, and other support to Headley and others involved in the planning and execution of the attacks.
In the United States, Rana was convicted for his association with Lashkar-e-Taiba and for aiding in a plot to attack a Danish newspaper that had published controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. However, the court acquitted him of charges related to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Despite the acquittal, the trial revealed extensive connections between Rana and Headley.
The FBI, in a statement released in January 2013 following Rana’s 2009 conviction, noted that Rana had acknowledged the terror activities of Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Mumbai attacks. (Source: IANS)
