NEW DELHI: Just hours before Tahawwur Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, landed in the national capital on Thursday, Pakistan’s Foreign Office issued a video statement distancing itself from him.
It claimed that Rana had not renewed any Pakistani documentation in the last two decades and that his Canadian nationality was “very clear”, a remark widely seen as a deliberate disassociation ahead of potentially explosive disclosures.
Sources in intelligence believe Rana holds vital information on Pakistan’s military-intelligence apparatus and its role in orchestrating the 26/11 attacks. His ties to Pakistan’s ISI and the army makes him a potential mine of damning testimony that could expose the deep state’s role in the terror attacks. “Pakistan fears that Rana will spill the beans,” said a senior counter-terror official, adding, “This sudden disavowal is nothing but strategic panic.”
Rana’s extradition marks the culmination of a lengthy legal and diplomatic struggle. After years of litigation, the US Supreme Court dealt the final blow to Rana’s attempts to evade deportation by rejecting his plea for a stay.
Rana was flown into Delhi amid heavy security from the US. His arrival at Delhi’s Palam Airport triggered a wave of international reactions, with Israel’s Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, saying. “I would like to thank the Government of India for its persistence in bringing terrorists to justice,” Azar said. Israel hailed Rana’s extradition as a key milestone in the fight against terror.