Pakistan has removed himself from Tahwur Hussain Rana, the Pakistani-Canadian terrorist wanted his role in 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks by India, killing 166 people.
Rana is being extradited from America; His extradition flight is in Delhi late Thursday night.
Pakistan’s reports quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Shafkat Ali Khan as saying that Rana did not make any attempt to renew waste citizenship after going to Canada – that is, Pakistan does not allow dual citizenship for migrants in Canada – and it is now “very clear” that is a Canadian national.
“Tahwur Rana has not renewed his Pakistani documents for more than two decades. His Canadian nationality is very clear,” Mr. Khan said in Islamabad, even the basis of Palam Air Force in Delhi was ready to receive a military aircraft from the United States to face justice in India.
Rana – One of India’s most wanted terrorists – was extradited from America late Wednesday night.
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The 64-year-old will be arrested soon after India’s Anti-Terrorism Agency, Nia, and transferred to a high security cell in Tihar Jail in Delhi.
They will then be presented in the Delhi court, according to the law, and then expected to be taken to Mumbai, where they will be questioned by high-ranked officers and facial testing.
Read | “Hang Soon”: 26/11 Hero Tukram Ombal’s brother on Tavavur Rana
Several calls have been made to execute Rana.
Read | “Rana should be hanged”: 26/11 Survivor, girl who identified Ajmal Kasab
Rana has been accused of several others along with criminal conspiracy, war against India, murder and forgery. Intelligence agencies believe that Rana played an important role in helping another terrorist, Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley, planned Mumbai terror attacks.
Headley, now in jail in America, Rana enhanced logistics and financial support.
Read | Headley’s testimony how did Rana’s role before the Indian court play
Rana’s extradition from the US took an important step for justice for hunting India after the Mumbai attacks, and the diplomatic efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi were credited. However, the Congress started the process of bringing Rana back on its watch in 2009.
“This extradition is the culmination of the labor -based diplomat, legal and intelligence efforts of the decade and a half decade, which (Congress -led) was initiated, led and continued by the UPA government, led and continuous, in the coordination of the US,” P Chidambaram, then the Union Home Minister said.
Rana was arrested in October 2009 for assisting a canceled plan by the US FBI in Copenhagen for attacking a newspaper in Copenhagen and supporting the Pak-based terrorist group Lashkar, which was responsible for the Mumbai attacks. Two years later, he was convicted.
Read | How did Rana, Headley plot newspaper employees
He then unsuccessfully appealed to the American courts to challenge his extradition in India.
The three -day attack devastated Mumbai, which targets hotels, a train station and a Jewish institute. Of the 10 terrorists, only one – Ajmal Kasab – was caught alive.
Kasab was killed on November 21, 2012.
With input from agencies
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