The Canadian government is investigating a report that a man of Pakistani origin who was arrested for his role in an extensive al-Qaeda terrorist plot may be a Canadian citizen.
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Foreign Affairs spokesman Reynald Doiron said yesterday the federal department has contacted its counterparts in Pakistan to confirm a Times of London newspaper report, citing a Pakistani official, that the 25-year-old Mr. Khan is a Canadian. Canada's high commissioner in Islamabad has requested that Pakistani officials supply a date of birth, place of birth and photo of Mr. Khan to compare with Canadian records. "There has been movement but no confirmation," said Mr. Doiron. "The Pakistanis have not yet provided our high commissioner in Islamabad with any conclusive information or data regarding the Canadian citizenship of that guy."
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Foreign Affairs has checked citizenship records and has come up with a name match, but Mr. Doiron cautioned against reading too much into it because of the several spelling variations of Mr. Khan's given names and the fact that he has an extremely common surname -- comparable to Smith in English. Pakistani intelligence authorities forced Mr. Khan to take part in a "sting" operation that has led to the arrest of some of Osama bin Laden's most dangerous agents, several reports citing Pakistani officials have said. Mr. Khan e-mailed al-Qaeda comrades while in custody in Pakistan and some of them responded, but the operation may have been compromised after Mr. Khan's name appeared in U.S. newspapers.
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