Fai cooperated with Federal authorities in an investigation.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: The prison sentence levied against Kashmiri separatist leader Ghulam Nabi Fai has been reduced by roughly four months, bringing it down to a twenty month term for the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) agent.
The sentence mitigation came as a result of the US government filing a petition in Fai’s favor after he cooperated with a federal investigation to find and apprehend other Americans who have transferred funds to Pakistan in order to fund the Kashmir separatist movement.
Fai was first arrested on July 19, 2011 at his home in Fairfax, Virginia after concealing a transfer of $3.5 million given to him by the ISI, Pakistan’s main intelligence agency, for his lobbying efforts regarding Kashmir. The actions were illegal because of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and Fai pleaded guilty to conspiracy and tax evasion in December of 2011.
Along with Fai, the US charged Pakistani American Zaheer Ahmad for illegal receiving funding from Pakistan for the Kashmiri American Council (KAC). Ahmad, however, was not arrested and fled for Islamabad, where he died in 2011.
The charges originally called for a prison term of up to five years in prison, but Fair was convicted of his involvement with the scheme in March of 2012 and given a just two-year term.
Upon his arrest and incarceration, the Pakistani government disavowed all knowledge of Fai and his actions. India lauded the arrest and trial, while several Congressmen who were friends with Fai, including Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA), Chairman of the House, said they were unaware of Fai’s source of income, particularly since Fai donated substantially to several of their political campaigns.
This past November, a petition was filed by US Assistant Attorney Gordon Kromberg on behalf of the US government to reduce Fai’s sentence because of his cooperation in various federal investigations. Cutting such deals is nothing new for the government, and now it appears Fai — who was set to be released this coming March — will be set free early.
The official petition for Fai’s arrest can be read here.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com