The Canadian government has begun the legal process to cancel the citizenship of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, who is accused of being one of the masterminds behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
This development comes just before Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s planned visit to India. The visit is seen as an effort by Canada to improve relations with New Delhi, which had become strained during the previous government led by Justin Trudeau.
Tahawwur Hussain Rana, who was born in Pakistan, became a Canadian citizen in 2001 after immigrating to Canada in 1997. He is currently in custody in India and is awaiting trial for his alleged role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The attacks were carried out by the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba and killed more than 160 people.
According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Rana has been formally informed that the government intends to revoke his Canadian citizenship. However, officials clarified that the move is not directly based on the terrorism charges he faces in India.
Instead, the IRCC notice states that Rana obtained his Canadian citizenship through misrepresentation. The government alleges that he provided false information about his residency in Canada at the time of his application. Under Canadian law, citizenship can be cancelled if it was obtained through fraud or false details.
The decision is likely to attract attention both in Canada and India, especially as diplomatic ties between the two countries are being carefully rebuilt. Rana’s case remains significant due to the scale and impact of the Mumbai terror attacks, which remain one of the deadliest terrorist incidents in India’s history.