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Tahawwur Hussain Rana Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 14, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth12 January 1961

Age64 Years

BirthplaceChichawatni, Sahiwal, Punjab Province, Pakistan

ProfessionBusinessman, Physician, Retired Pakistan Army personnel

NationalityPakistani, Canadian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseSamraz Akhtar Rana

FamilyOne son and two daughters; father Rana Wali Muhammad; brother Abbas Rana (journalist); two other brothers served as Pakistan Army officers

Tahawwur Hussain Rana Biography

Tahawwur Hussain Rana is a Pakistani-Canadian physician, former Pakistan Army officer and businessman who has been implicated in terrorism-related cases in

Early life and background

Tahawwur Hussain Rana was born on 12 January 1961 in Chichawatni, in the Sahiwal district of Punjab Province, Pakistan. He grew up in that region and attended local military-style schools, including the Army School in Punjab and Cadet College Hasanabdal in Attock. He trained at the Army Medical College in Rawalpindi and qualified with an MBBS before being commissioned into the Army Medical Corps of the Pakistan Army as a second lieutenant.

According to available accounts, Rana was later court-martialled and dismissed from military service at the rank of captain in the mid-1990s after failing to report for duty. After his departure from the army he practised medicine in Pakistan for a period and then emigrated to Canada in 1997. He became a Canadian citizen in June 2001 and later settled in the United States, maintaining an address in Chicago.

Career

Rana’s professional life spans medicine, military service and entrepreneurship. After his medical education and early service in the Pakistan Army, he moved into private practice and then into business following his relocation to North America. In Canada he established enterprises in major cities such as Toronto. After moving to the United States and settling in Chicago he founded several businesses, including an immigration consultation firm called First World Immigration Services Inc and a number of slaughterhouses.

He was also involved with community organisations in the U.S., including participation in the Iqbal Society, a group that organised discussions on topics related to Islam.

Legal cases and controversies

Rana became the subject of criminal investigations and high-profile trials related to terrorism. In October 2009 he was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Chicago on charges connected to aiding Lashkar-e-Taiba in planning an attack on employees of a Danish newspaper. His trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois ran from May 2011 and resulted in a 14-year prison sentence in 2013 for his role in a foiled 2005 plot to attack the Danish publication.

Authorities have also alleged Rana assisted David Coleman Headley, a man who conducted reconnaissance in India in the period before the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Indian investigative agencies named Rana among several individuals implicated in the planning and execution of the Mumbai attacks. Indian authorities later filed charges and sought his extradition to face trial in India on offences related to the 2008 attacks.

Extradition and recent legal developments

India requested Rana’s extradition from the United States under the 1997 extradition treaty. In June 2020 India formally applied for his transfer. In May 2023 a U.S. District Court in California certified Rana’s extraditability to the Secretary of State. Indian investigators filed a detailed chargesheet in the Mumbai case, and additional material presented to Indian authorities was said to include documents and witness statements.

Rana challenged extradition in U.S. courts. In April 2025 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against his petition to avoid extradition to India, and he was cleared to be sent to India, after which he arrived in New Delhi and was lodged in Tihar Jail. His prosecution in India is expected to proceed at Patiala House Court.

Public profile

Rana’s name has remained prominent in reporting about the 2008 Mumbai attacks and related legal actions. He has been described in public records as a Pakistani-Canadian dual national who practiced medicine, ran businesses in Canada and the United States, and previously served in the Pakistan Army. Media reporting has noted his familial ties, including a physician wife and three children, and that one of his brothers is a journalist while two other brothers served as officers in the Pakistan Army.

Latest updates

Recent developments have focused on the completion of legal processes in U.S. courts and the approval of his extradition to India. A 400-page chargesheet filed by Mumbai police in September 2023 was presented to a special court and included allegations supported by newly cited documents and statements. The U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2025 ended Rana’s remaining legal avenues in the United States to prevent extradition, and Indian authorities have taken custody to pursue prosecution in Delhi.

Throughout the complex legal proceedings, officials have indicated that investigations into the Mumbai attacks and related matters remain active and that any forthcoming trial will be time-consuming and thorough.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Tahawwur Hussain Rana, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
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Recent Work

Subject of extradition and prosecution related to the 2008 Mumbai attacks

Following U.S. court rulings, cleared for extradition to India in 2025; lodged in Tihar Jail and to face trial at Patiala House Court.

2025
Convicted in U.S. trial for 2005 plot against Danish newspaper

Tried in the Northern District of Illinois and sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2013 for involvement in a foiled 2005 attack plot.

2013
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Career Highlights

  1. Commissioned into the Pakistan Army Medical Corps after training at Army Medical College
  2. Established businesses in Canada and the United States, including First World Immigration Services Inc
  3. Convicted and sentenced in the United States in connection with a foiled 2005 plot
  4. Subject of extradition and prosecution related to the 2008 Mumbai attacks
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Tahawwur Hussain Rana born?

12 January 1961

What is Tahawwur Hussain Rana known for?

Businessman, Physician, Retired Pakistan Army personnel

What is Tahawwur Hussain Rana’s marital status?

Married

Who is Tahawwur Hussain Rana married to?

Samraz Akhtar Rana