‘He Is A Canadian’: Pakistan Distances Itself From 26/11 Accused Tahawwur Rana
Tahawwur Rana, convicted in the US for aiding the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, is being extradited to India. It has clarified that Rana is a Canadian national, despite his Pakistani origin.
Pakistan has distanced itself from 2008 Mumbai terror accused Tahawwur Rana and has said that it is very clear that he is of Canadian nationality. Rana has been extradited to India, with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) handed over his custody. Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian national, was convicted in the US for helping the banned terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives and providing material support to the group responsible for the Mumbai attacks that killed at least 174 people.
"He is a Canadian national and as per our record he has not renewed his Pakistani documents for over two decades," news agencies quoted Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan as saying during his weekly press briefing in Islamabad, while responding to a question about Rana's extradition to India.
The US Secretary of State had signed the surrender warrant authorising the extradition of Rana to Indian authorities on February 11. The legal counsel of Rana has subsequently filed an emergency stay motion seeking to challenge that order.
The US Supreme Court on April 7 denied Rana’s petition for a stay on his extradition.
The Indian government has been asking for the extradition of Rana for many years now, and the US Supreme Court's recent decision has paved the way for his transfer to India. According to the NIA, the government registered a case on November 11, 2009, at the NIA Police Station New Delhi as Case RC-04/2009/NIA/DL under various sections.
"As per the Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs order No. 11034/10/ 2009-IS.VI dated 11/11/ 2009 National Investigation Agency (NIA) registered a case on 11/11/2009 at NIA Police Station, New Delhi as Case RC-04/2009/NIA/DLI under sections 121A of IPC, Section 18 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Section 6(2) SAARC Convention (Suppression of Terrorism) Act against 1) David Coleman Headley @ Daood Gilani (US Citizen), 2) Tahawwur Hussain Rana (Canadian citizen) and others," the NIA stated.
The NIA stated that the accused David Coleman Headley, alias Daood Gilani, and Tahawwur Hussain Rana were arrested by law enforcement agencies in the USA in their case.
The extradition of Rana marks a significant step in the pursuit of justice for the victims of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
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