Pro-Kashmir lobbyist sentenced to 2 years in jail for fraud
In December 2011, Dr Fai had pleaded guilty to two charges, said the Department of Justice. The first charge was “to falsify, conceal and cover up material facts he had a duty to disclose in matters within the jurisdiction of executive branch agencies of the US government.” The second charge was “to defraud the Treasury Department by impeding the lawful functions of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the collection of revenue. “
Arrested in July 2011, Dr Fai, director of the Kashmiri American Council, had been accused of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act. He has been accused of, and later pleaded guilty to, taking money from the Inter-Services Intelligence to run his US-based NGO. In December 2011, Dr Fai had admitted that from 1990 to 2011, he had received money from Pakistani officials including the ISI and the Government of Pakistan through the Kashmiri American Council.
A Department of Justice press release at the time had stated that Dr Fai could face a maximum sentence of five years on the conspiracy count, and three years for tax violation. Dr Fai had also agreed to forfeit his interest in $142,851.32 seized by the government in July 2011.
COMMENTS (15)
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Criminal at worst and a dishonest person at best. A fair sentence nevertheless
@Anjaan: "Moral of the story, you may be involved in all kinds of illegal activities, Uncle Sam would connive and play blind as long as it suits the US, and will strike when it does not suit them any more. " Another was of looking at it is that America continues to pay out the rope until the time is ripe to reel in the quarry. Nothing wrong with that! Sorry if it does not suit the habitual US baiters!
2 years is too less. It should have been 20 years. Sad :(
@Blithe: And what about the country illegally occupying Kashmir???? Oh yeah!!! Pakistan should be driven out of Kashmir.... I agree.... Will America continue to turn a blind eye to Indian atrocities?? - America turned a blind eye, nose, ear and throat when Pakistan did everything it could do to divide itself into 2 in 1971...
A trade off: Dr. Shikal Afridi for Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai? Doctor for doctor.
Ghulam Nabi also lied about having a P'hd Degree. He has no such degree. I wonder why do people of Pakistan think that when it comes to Kashmir whatever law they break is justified. The world doesn't see it that way.
He's not PRO-KASHMIRI.
He's PRO-PAKISTANI.
The title is definitely an oversight.
Sad!
And what about the country illegally occupying Baluchistan???? Will America continue to turn a blind eye to Pakistani atrocities??
Sad!
And what about the country illegally occupying Kashmir???? Will America continue to turn a blind eye to Indian atrocities??
@Author "He has been accused of, and later pleaded guilty to, taking money from the Inter-Services Intelligence to run his US-based NGO"
Misleading. HE had been accused of being funded by ISI and not registering himself as a foreign agent.
If he had registered himself, there would be NO problem if ISI fundedhim. After all in USA, lobbying is not illegal. The Congressmen who are being lobbied simply need to know accurately who is lobbying, so they can evaluate accordingly.
ISI used Dr. Fai hence he to be considered as our Mujahideen, so ISI should do all it can to release Fai as soon as possible.
I salute ISI for this effort. Freeing Kashmiris off the indian atrocities. RAW also does lobbying and so did ISI, but india being the blue eyed boy in the region for US got Ghulam Nabi exposed.
Unfair to punish the man alone when he was merely a pawn in a larger international game organized by Angana Chatterji and her husband Richard Shapiro. Until those two remain out of jail, no justice will be served to anyone.
Should Nawaz Sharif b sentenced to prison if proven guilty of receiving ISI funding?