Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai
Encyclopedia
Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai is an American citizen of Kashmiri
origin, from Indian-administered Kashmir, who was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
on July 19, 2011 for allegedly working secretly for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence
(ISI) to lobby and influence the U.S. government on the Kashmir conflict
in violation of Foreign Agents Registration Act
. His arrest came at a time when relations between Pakistan and the United States
were already strained in the aftermath of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden
in Pakistan, and while US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was on a visit to India
.
in Jammu and Kashmir
, which forms the part of Kashmir
administered by India
. He completed his graduation from Srinagar
’s Sri Pratap College
. He then did MA from Aligarh Muslim University
before studying on a scholarship in Mecca
, Saudi Arabia
. He then moved to the United States in 1977 and read towards a PhD in mass communications from Temple University
, Pennsylvania on Television in Saudi Arabia. He eventually becoming a U.S. citizen. He was a member of Jamaat-e-Islami
during his college days. During his childhood he was friends with Hizbul Mujahideen
leader, Muhammad Yusuf Shah
.
, at the time of his arrest. The KAC was formed by some members of the Kashmiri diaspora
, and revealed, in July 2011, per an FBI investigation to be an illegal front for the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) agency of the Pakistani Military.
Fai started the KAC, with ISI funding, in 1990 around the time armed insurgency supported by Pakistan started in Jammu & Kashmir. According to FBI Kashmiri American Council, a nonprofit organization
would arrange seminars, conferences and lectures on Kashmir. Officially KAC denies getting any foreign grants. Prosecutors allege Fai was paid between $500,000 to $700,000 per year by the Government of Pakistan
. KAC is best known for holding annual Kashmir Peace conference in Washington, D.C. which is presented as an independent forum for Indian and Pakistani voices. However Justice department officials alleged that Pakistani government approved the list of speakers and gave Fai talking points to highlight, with some 80% of his talkiing points and speeches being provided by the ISI. According to the FBI affidavit a confidential witness told FBI investigators “ISI created the KAC to propagandize on behalf of the government of Pakistan with the goal of uniting Kashmir.”
In August 2011, London's The Daily Telegraph
reported that Fai had secretly been serving as a Director of a Kashmiri lobbying group in the U.K. named the Justice Foundation Kashmir Centre (JFKC), which too is under joint investigation by the FBI and MI5
for being clandestinely funded by the ISI in Pakistan. The JKFC was founded by the late Ayub Thakur
. Another sister organisation, the Kashmir Centre EU in Brussels, is facing identical charges of being a front for the Pakistani Military, via the ISI.
in Virginia, USA, he was a regular visitor to Pakistan
and met regularly and openly with the highest levels of the political, bureaucratic and military establishment, including the Inter-Services Intelligence
(ISI).
In the U.S., Fai's access has extended to various mid-level officials in the State Department, as well as a variety of backbenchers including non-ranking Congressmen and a handful of Senators. Typically, his access was limited to those Congressmen to whose election funds the Kashmir American Council (see above) had donated monies, including Joe Pitts (D-Pennsylvania) and Dan Burton
(R-Indiana). Fai has never had a meeting with any Secretary of State
or with a serving U.S. Ambassador or equivalent rank of official.
Since forfeiting his Indian citizenship by taking U.S. citizenship in 1990, he has been denied visas to visit India on account of his now publicly-reported ties to the Pakistani Military, in particular the Inter-Services Intelligence
(ISI). He has never had a meeting in any third country with any Indian elected official or diplomat.
associate named Zaheer Ahmad
for getting illegal funding for the KAC from Pakistan. Fai was arrested at his home in Fairfax, Virginia
. According to Neil MacBride
, the United States Attorney at United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
"Mr. Fai is accused of a decades-long scheme with one purpose — to hide Pakistan’s involvement behind his efforts to influence the U.S. government’s position on Kashmir, his handlers in Pakistan allegedly funneled millions through the Kashmir Center to contribute to U.S. elected officials, fund high-profile conferences, and pay for other efforts that promoted the Kashmiri cause to decision makers in Washington.” According to prosecutors he was directed by ISI and was in touch with them 4000 times in the last 3 years. The prosecutors also alleged that Kashmiri American Council was run by elements of Pakistani government including ISI and had Fai had received at least $ 4 million from Government of Pakistan. If convicted Fai faces up to 5 years in prison. Zaheer Ahmad was not arrested and was thought to be living in Pakistan. On October 8 2011, it was reported that Ahmad had died in Islamabad at the age of 63 due to brain haemorrhage.
issued a statement after the arrest that it had no knowledge of Fai's alleged ties with the Pakistani establishment
. However an unnamed Pakistani official told The Independent
that Fai was getting funding from ISI as he was unable to raise money from the Pakistani American
community. The Pakistani government lodged its concern over the arrest and accused the U.S. of embarking on a "slander campaign" against Pakistan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan released a statement lauding the "contributions made by the Kashmiri American Council and Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai for the cause of Jammu and Kashmir." It further commented that "upholding fundamental rights of Kashmiris is the fundamental responsibility of the international community and all conscientious people who value human rights and values" and added that "campaigns to defame the just cause of the Kashmiri people will not affect its legitimacy."
A Statement released by Home ministry of India
said "The arrest of Ghulam Nabi Fai was long overdue. We had fair degree of suspicion that the money which he received was given by the agencies in Pakistan."
Fai donated money to his friend Congressman Joseph R. Pitts
over the years. After finding out about Fai's arrest, Pitts donated the same amount to charity. Pitts denied knowing his friend had external financings. In a letter published in Intelligencer Journal
Pitt wrote “Clearly, much more was going on. Dr. Fai will get his day in court. Before long, we will learn exactly what he was doing behind the scenes. Whatever the ISI hoped to accomplish, it didn’t work.”
U.S representative from Indiana Dan Burton
who frequently supports Pakistan's position on Kashmir was a major recipient of contributions from Fai. Expressing shock at his arrest Burton admitted to having known Fai for more than 20 years and stated “in that time I had no inkling of his involvement with any foreign intelligence operation and had presumed our correspondence was legitimate”. He said that funds he received from Fai would be donated to Boy Scouts of America
.
His arrest was condemned by separatist Kashmiri leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani
who called his arrest "a conspiracy by India to weaken the freedom struggle in Kashmir" while many ordinary people in Jammu and Kashmir
claimed to have never heard of him.
His arrest was welcomed by the Kashmiri Pandit
community. According to Lalit Koul, President of the Indo-American Kashmir Forum, "It was always clear that this (Fai's) group was following the official Pakistani version of the Kashmir story. In all instances, the truth was obfuscated by misinformation provided by our opponents masquerading as Kashmiri freedom fighters."
Kashmiri people
The Kashmiri people are a Dardic linguistic group living in Kashmir Valley in Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and parts of the Pakistani territory of Azad Kashmir who speak the Kashmiri language...
origin, from Indian-administered Kashmir, who was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
on July 19, 2011 for allegedly working secretly for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence
Inter-Services Intelligence
The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence , is Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, responsible for providing critical national security intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan...
(ISI) to lobby and influence the U.S. government on the Kashmir conflict
Kashmir conflict
The Kashmir conflict is a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir region, the northwesternmost region of South Asia....
in violation of Foreign Agents Registration Act
Foreign Agents Registration Act
The Foreign Agents Registration Act is a United States law passed in 1938 requiring that agents representing the interests of foreign powers be properly identified to the American public. The act was passed in response to German propaganda in the lead-up to World War II...
. His arrest came at a time when relations between Pakistan and the United States
Pakistan – United States relations
Pakistan – United States relations refers to the bilateral relationship between the Pakistan and the United States. The United States first established diplomatic relations with Pakistan on 20 October 1947. The relationship since then was based primarily on U.S. economic and military assistance to...
were already strained in the aftermath of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden
Death of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden, then head of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, shortly after 1 a.m. local time by a United States special forces military unit....
in Pakistan, and while US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was on a visit to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Early life
Fai was born in the Wadwan village of Badgam districtBadgam district
Badgam is a district in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India. Its headquarters is Badgam.-Demographics:According to the 2011 census Badgam district has a population of 735,753, roughly equal to the nation of Guyana or the US state of Alaska. This gives it a ranking of 494th in India . The...
in Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
, which forms the part of Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
administered by India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He completed his graduation from Srinagar
Srinagar
Srinagar is the summer seasonal capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. It is one of the largest cities in India not to have a Hindu majority. The city is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats...
’s Sri Pratap College
Sri Pratap College
Sri Pratap College, Srinagar is a professional college in Kashmir. It is the oldest college in Srinagar locally known as SP College. Established in year 1905 by then Ruler of Jammu and Kashmir Shri Maharaja Pratap Singh....
. He then did MA from Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University ,is a residential academic university, established in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as Mohammedan Angelo-Oriental College and later granted the status of Central University by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 1920...
before studying on a scholarship in Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. He then moved to the United States in 1977 and read towards a PhD in mass communications from Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
, Pennsylvania on Television in Saudi Arabia. He eventually becoming a U.S. citizen. He was a member of Jamaat-e-Islami
Jamaat-e-Islami
This article is about Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan. For other organizations of similar name see Jamaat-e-Islami The Jamaat-e-Islami , is a Pro-Muslim political party in Pakistan...
during his college days. During his childhood he was friends with Hizbul Mujahideen
Hizbul Mujahideen
Hizbul Mujahideen , founded by Ahsan Dar in 1989, is a Kashmiri militant group active in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir since 1989. Their headquarters are located in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. It is believed the group al-Badr, derived from Hizbul Mujahideen...
leader, Muhammad Yusuf Shah
Sayeed Salahudeen
Syed Salahudeen or Syed Mohammed Yusuf Shah, is the head of the Hizbul Mujahideen, militant outfit in Kashmir and head of an alliance of Kashmiri militant organizations, the Muttahida Jihad Council, that supports the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir's accession to Pakistan...
.
Kashmiri American Council
Fai was the executive director of the Kashmiri American Council (KAC), an organization based in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, at the time of his arrest. The KAC was formed by some members of the Kashmiri diaspora
Kashmiri diaspora
The Kashmiri diaspora refers to Kashmiri people who have migrated out of the Kashmir region, consisting of Pakistan-administered Kashmir , the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir as well as the Chinese administered territory of Aksai Chin, into other areas and countries and their...
, and revealed, in July 2011, per an FBI investigation to be an illegal front for the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) agency of the Pakistani Military.
Fai started the KAC, with ISI funding, in 1990 around the time armed insurgency supported by Pakistan started in Jammu & Kashmir. According to FBI Kashmiri American Council, a nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
would arrange seminars, conferences and lectures on Kashmir. Officially KAC denies getting any foreign grants. Prosecutors allege Fai was paid between $500,000 to $700,000 per year by the Government of Pakistan
Government of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...
. KAC is best known for holding annual Kashmir Peace conference in Washington, D.C. which is presented as an independent forum for Indian and Pakistani voices. However Justice department officials alleged that Pakistani government approved the list of speakers and gave Fai talking points to highlight, with some 80% of his talkiing points and speeches being provided by the ISI. According to the FBI affidavit a confidential witness told FBI investigators “ISI created the KAC to propagandize on behalf of the government of Pakistan with the goal of uniting Kashmir.”
In August 2011, London's The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
reported that Fai had secretly been serving as a Director of a Kashmiri lobbying group in the U.K. named the Justice Foundation Kashmir Centre (JFKC), which too is under joint investigation by the FBI and MI5
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
for being clandestinely funded by the ISI in Pakistan. The JKFC was founded by the late Ayub Thakur
Ayub Thakur
Muhammad Ayub Thakur was a Kashmiri political activist and founder-president of London-based World Kashmir Freedom Movement , an organisation that claimed to seek a "peaceful political solution" to the Kashmir Conflict...
. Another sister organisation, the Kashmir Centre EU in Brussels, is facing identical charges of being a front for the Pakistani Military, via the ISI.
Political Access
Before his arrest in July 2011 and subsequent electronically-monitored house arrestHouse arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
in Virginia, USA, he was a regular visitor to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and met regularly and openly with the highest levels of the political, bureaucratic and military establishment, including the Inter-Services Intelligence
Inter-Services Intelligence
The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence , is Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, responsible for providing critical national security intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan...
(ISI).
In the U.S., Fai's access has extended to various mid-level officials in the State Department, as well as a variety of backbenchers including non-ranking Congressmen and a handful of Senators. Typically, his access was limited to those Congressmen to whose election funds the Kashmir American Council (see above) had donated monies, including Joe Pitts (D-Pennsylvania) and Dan Burton
Dan Burton
Danny "Dan" Lee Burton is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the , serving since 1983. He is a member of the Republican Party....
(R-Indiana). Fai has never had a meeting with any Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
or with a serving U.S. Ambassador or equivalent rank of official.
Since forfeiting his Indian citizenship by taking U.S. citizenship in 1990, he has been denied visas to visit India on account of his now publicly-reported ties to the Pakistani Military, in particular the Inter-Services Intelligence
Inter-Services Intelligence
The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence , is Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, responsible for providing critical national security intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan...
(ISI). He has never had a meeting in any third country with any Indian elected official or diplomat.
Arrest
Fai was charged along with a Pakistani AmericanPakistani American
A Pakistani American is any citizen or resident of the United States who has Pakistani heritage.- History in the United States :Muslim immigrants from areas that are now part of Pakistan have been migrating to America and first entered the United States as early as the eighteenth century, working...
associate named Zaheer Ahmad
Zaheer Ahmad
Zaheer Ahmad was a Pakistani American medical doctor who was credited as being the founder and chief executive of the Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad. In 2011, he came under media attention when the United States accused him of being an associate of Dr...
for getting illegal funding for the KAC from Pakistan. Fai was arrested at his home in Fairfax, Virginia
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
. According to Neil MacBride
Neil MacBride
Neil H. MacBride is the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. The U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed MacBride's nomination on Sept. 15, 2009, and he took office three days later...
, the United States Attorney at United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia is one of two United States district courts serving the Commonwealth of Virginia...
"Mr. Fai is accused of a decades-long scheme with one purpose — to hide Pakistan’s involvement behind his efforts to influence the U.S. government’s position on Kashmir, his handlers in Pakistan allegedly funneled millions through the Kashmir Center to contribute to U.S. elected officials, fund high-profile conferences, and pay for other efforts that promoted the Kashmiri cause to decision makers in Washington.” According to prosecutors he was directed by ISI and was in touch with them 4000 times in the last 3 years. The prosecutors also alleged that Kashmiri American Council was run by elements of Pakistani government including ISI and had Fai had received at least $ 4 million from Government of Pakistan. If convicted Fai faces up to 5 years in prison. Zaheer Ahmad was not arrested and was thought to be living in Pakistan. On October 8 2011, it was reported that Ahmad had died in Islamabad at the age of 63 due to brain haemorrhage.
Bail
At his initial court appearance prosecution claimed that after his arrest Fai had admitted to receiving money from ISI but said that he maintained an independent viewpoint on Kashmir issue. FBI agent Sarah Linden stated that previously Fai had denied knowing anyone from ISI. Fai himself said nothing at the trial. He was granted bail and placed under house arrest. Passports of both him as well as his wife were confiscated and Fai was forbidden from any contact with any foreign government or witness.Reactions
The embassy of Pakistan in Washington, D.C.Embassy of Pakistan in Washington, D.C.
The Embassy of Pakistan in Washington, D.C. is the diplomatic mission of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the United States. It is located at 3517 International Court, Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the Cleveland Park neighborhood....
issued a statement after the arrest that it had no knowledge of Fai's alleged ties with the Pakistani establishment
Establishment (Pakistan)
The Establishment is a term used commonly by Pakistani political scientists and also by political scholars and analysts around the world for the powerful military-dominant oligarchy in Pakistan...
. However an unnamed Pakistani official told The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
that Fai was getting funding from ISI as he was unable to raise money from the Pakistani American
Pakistani American
A Pakistani American is any citizen or resident of the United States who has Pakistani heritage.- History in the United States :Muslim immigrants from areas that are now part of Pakistan have been migrating to America and first entered the United States as early as the eighteenth century, working...
community. The Pakistani government lodged its concern over the arrest and accused the U.S. of embarking on a "slander campaign" against Pakistan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan released a statement lauding the "contributions made by the Kashmiri American Council and Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai for the cause of Jammu and Kashmir." It further commented that "upholding fundamental rights of Kashmiris is the fundamental responsibility of the international community and all conscientious people who value human rights and values" and added that "campaigns to defame the just cause of the Kashmiri people will not affect its legitimacy."
A Statement released by Home ministry of India
Ministry of Home Affairs (India)
Ministry of Home Affairs , known as the Home Ministry or MHA, is an Indian government ministry. It is an interior ministry mainly responsible for the maintenance of Internal security and domestic policy.-Ministerial Team:...
said "The arrest of Ghulam Nabi Fai was long overdue. We had fair degree of suspicion that the money which he received was given by the agencies in Pakistan."
Fai donated money to his friend Congressman Joseph R. Pitts
Joseph R. Pitts
Joseph R. "Joe" Pitts is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is based in Lancaster and includes much of Amish country...
over the years. After finding out about Fai's arrest, Pitts donated the same amount to charity. Pitts denied knowing his friend had external financings. In a letter published in Intelligencer Journal
Intelligencer Journal
The Intelligencer Journal, known locally as the Intell, is the daily, morning newspaper published by Lancaster Newspapers, Inc in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It is the 7th oldest newspaper in the United States and one of the oldest newspapers to be continually published under the same name...
Pitt wrote “Clearly, much more was going on. Dr. Fai will get his day in court. Before long, we will learn exactly what he was doing behind the scenes. Whatever the ISI hoped to accomplish, it didn’t work.”
U.S representative from Indiana Dan Burton
Dan Burton
Danny "Dan" Lee Burton is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the , serving since 1983. He is a member of the Republican Party....
who frequently supports Pakistan's position on Kashmir was a major recipient of contributions from Fai. Expressing shock at his arrest Burton admitted to having known Fai for more than 20 years and stated “in that time I had no inkling of his involvement with any foreign intelligence operation and had presumed our correspondence was legitimate”. He said that funds he received from Fai would be donated to Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
.
His arrest was condemned by separatist Kashmiri leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani
Syed Ali Shah Geelani
-Early life:Syed Geelani was born in a town called Zoorimunz, Bandipora, in North Kashmir. After his preliminary education in Sopore, he went on to graduate from the Oriental College in Lahore....
who called his arrest "a conspiracy by India to weaken the freedom struggle in Kashmir" while many ordinary people in Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
claimed to have never heard of him.
His arrest was welcomed by the Kashmiri Pandit
Kashmiri Pandit
The Kashmiri Pandits are a Hindu Brahmin community originating from Kashmir, a mountainous region in South Asia.-Background:The Hindu caste system of the region was influenced by the influx of Buddhism from the time of Asoka, around the third century BCE, and a consequence of this was that the...
community. According to Lalit Koul, President of the Indo-American Kashmir Forum, "It was always clear that this (Fai's) group was following the official Pakistani version of the Kashmir story. In all instances, the truth was obfuscated by misinformation provided by our opponents masquerading as Kashmiri freedom fighters."
See also
- Kashmir conflictKashmir conflictThe Kashmir conflict is a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir region, the northwesternmost region of South Asia....
- Pakistan lobby in the United States
- Pakistan – United States relationsPakistan – United States relationsPakistan – United States relations refers to the bilateral relationship between the Pakistan and the United States. The United States first established diplomatic relations with Pakistan on 20 October 1947. The relationship since then was based primarily on U.S. economic and military assistance to...
- India – United States relations
External links
- Two Charged with Conspiring to Act as Unregistered Agents of Pakistani Government, FBI Press release
- United States of America v. Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai and Zaheer Ahmad
- Kashmiri American Council
- U.S. Representative Dan Burton's comments on Fai's arrest
- U.S. representative Joseph Pitts letter about Fai published in Intelligencer journal
- Profile: Ghulam Nabi Fai, BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
- Nabi-Fai, Ghulam: The people of Kashmir must be allowed to vote on their own future, The Guardian, 2010-08-31
- Edward Hasbrouck: Kashmiri-American leader charged with failing to register as a "Foreign Agent"