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Tahawwur Rana Continued Wearing Military Uniform During Meetings with ISI and Lashkar Operatives Post-Army Service: NIA Sources
Tahawwur Hussain Rana, currently under investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his alleged involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has reportedly admitted to maintaining close ties with Pakistan’s intelligence and terror networks even after his formal exit from military service.
According to an NDTV report citing NIA sources, Rana stated that although he left the Pakistani Army’s medical corps, he continued to wear his army uniform during meetings with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives and officials from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The move was allegedly intended to maintain the appearance of formal association and facilitate trust within these circles.
Rana hails from Chichawatni in Punjab province, Pakistan, and comes from an academically-inclined family; his father was a school principal. He is one of three brothers—one currently serving as a psychiatrist in the Pakistan Army, and the other working as a journalist.
He studied at Cadet College Hasanabdal, where he became acquainted with David Coleman Headley (also known as Dawood Sayed Gilani), the Pakistani-American operative convicted in the United States for his role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Their association would later prove central to the planning and execution of the 26/11 siege.
In 1997, Rana relocated to Canada with his wife, Dr. Samraz Rana Akhtar, a practising physician. He launched an immigration consultancy business, which later expanded into the halal meat industry. However, the consultancy firm is believed to have functioned as a front for facilitating terror activities. Headley reportedly operated under the guise of a consultant at Rana’s firm, using the platform to conduct surveillance missions in India.
Investigators have revealed that Rana not only maintained his military persona post-service but also regularly visited terror training camps. He remained in close contact with key operatives, including Sajid Mir—a UN-designated global terrorist and one of India’s most wanted fugitives. Mir is accused of being a key handler during the Mumbai attacks and is believed to have orchestrated the deadly siege at Chabad House, which resulted in the deaths of six hostages. The United States has offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Mir’s capture.
Rana also reportedly met with Major Iqbal, an alleged ISI officer implicated in the financing and coordination of David Headley’s reconnaissance missions in India. Major Iqbal, identified in a 2010 US indictment, was said to be one of Headley’s primary handlers within the ISI. Headley, who pleaded guilty to terrorism charges in 2010, provided details of his coordination with Iqbal—including over 20 documented email exchanges under the alias “Chaudhery Khan.”
The ongoing investigation underscores Rana’s deep entanglement in the operational planning and support structure of the 26/11 attacks, as well as his continued alignment with terrorist entities long after his formal departure from military service.
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