Pakistan has distanced itself from Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the Pakistani-Canadian terrorist wanted by India for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, in which 166 people were slaughtered.
Rana was extradited from the US; his extradition flight landed in Delhi late Thursday.
Reports from Pakistan quoted Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan as saying Rana made no attempt to renew lapsed citizenship after moving to Canada - i.e., Pakistan does not allow dual citizenship for migrants to Canada - and that it is now "very clear" he is a Canadian national.
"Tahawwur Rana has not renewed his Pakistani documents for over two decades. His Canadian nationality is very clear," Mr Khan said in Islamabad.
Who Is Tahawwur Rana
Rana - known to have links to Pakistan's Army and its Inter-Services Intelligence, as also banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which carried out the attack - was extradited from the US late Wednesday.
NDTV Explains | Who Is Tahawwur Rana, Pak-Origin 26/11 Mumbai Attacks Accused
India has repeatedly said the 26/11 attacks were carried out with support from Pak-based actors.
When Rana Lands In India...
The 64-year-old will be arrested by India's anti-terror agency, the NIA immediately after setting foot on Indian soil and be transferred to a high security cell in Delhi's Tihar Jail.
He will then be presented in a Delhi court, in accordance with the law, and then is expected to be moved to Mumbai, where he will be interrogated by high-ranking officers and face trial.
READ | "Hang Soon": Brother Of 26/11 Hero Tukaram Omble On Tahawwur Rana
There have been multiple calls for Rana to be executed.
READ | "Rana Should Be Hanged": 26/11 Survivor, Girl Who Identified Ajmal Kasab
Charges Against Rana
Rana has been charged with criminal conspiracy, waging war against India, murder, and forgery, as well as many others. Intelligence agencies believe Rana played a key role in helping another terrorist, Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley, plan the Mumbai terror attacks.
Headley, now in jail in the US, said Rana extended logistical and financial support.
READ | How Headley's Testimony Nailed Rana's Role Before Indian Court
Rana's Extradition
Rana's extradition from the US marked a significant step forward in India's hunt for justice after the Mumbai attacks, and has been credited to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's diplomatic efforts. The Congress, though, pointed out the process to bring Rana back began on its watch, in 2009.
"This extradition is the culmination of a decade-and-a-half of painstaking diplomatic, legal, and intelligence efforts which were initiated, led, and sustained by the (Congress-led) UPA government, in coordination with the US," P Chidambaram, then the Union Home Minister, said.
Rana had been arrested by the US' FBI in October 2009 on charges of providing support to an aborted plan to attack a newspaper in Copenhagen and supporting Pak-based terror group Lashkar, which was responsible for the Mumbai attacks. Two years later, he was convicted.
READ | How Rana, Headley Plotted To Behead Newspaper Employees
He then unsuccessfully appealed to American courts to challenge his extradition to India.
The three-day attack that devastated Mumbai targeted hotels, a train station, and a Jewish institution. Of the 10 terrorists, only one - Ajmal Kasab - was caught alive.
Kasab was executed on November 21, 2012.
With input from agencies
NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
