Pa k i s t an’s Int e r- S e r v i c e s Intelligence (ISI) stands fully exposed for the nefarious role it layed for two decades by u s i n g Wa s h i n g t o n - b a s e d Kashmiri separatist leader Ghulam Nabi ai as its surrogate in an all-out bid to influence the US policy on Kashmir. It was “a decades-long s heme” unde r wh i ch t h e Government of Pakistan was secretly funding his activities, US Assistant ttorney General for National Security Lisa Monaco said on Wednesday after Fai pleaded guilty to federal harges. Having admitted to secretly receiving at least $3.5 million f rom t h e G ov e r nm e nt o f Pakistan since 1990 for his illegal lobbying activity, Fai faces up to five years in prison for conspiracy and p to three years for tax violation. As part of the plea, Fai has agreed to forfeit his interest in nearly 143,000 seized by the US Government in July 2011, when he was arrested from his Virginia home. “For he last 20 years, Fai secretly took millions of dollars from Pakistani intelligence and l i e d a b o u t i t Government,” said US Attorney Neil MacBride, adding: “As a paid operative of ISI, he did the bidding of is handlers in Pakistan while he met with US e l e c t e d o f f i c i a l s , f u n d e d high-profile onferences and p r om o t e d t h e K a s h m i r i c au s e t o d e c i s i on -ma k e r s in ashington.” Fai, who received the money from ISI through a network of straw donors, used the money o fund his Kashmiri American Council’s lobbying activities with US Congress, doling out contributions otalling $80,000 to $100,000 a year to various members. The ISI funds were also used to organise his nnual Kashmiri Peace Conference, bring to Washington politicians, experts and journalists from Pakistan nd India. US District Court Judge Liam O’Grady, before whom Fai pleaded guilty on two counts, will ronounce his sentence on March 9, 2012. Count one charged Fai with conspiracy to falsify, conceal and over up material facts he had a duty to disclose to agencies of the US Government and, secondly, to d e u d t h e Tre a s u r y Department by impeding the lawful functions of the Internal Revenue Service in he collection of revenue. Count two charged Fai with endeavouring to impede the administration of tax aws. “ T h e Ta x Di v i s i on i s committed to prosecuting any individual who illegally uses the tax- xempt status of charitable entities to promote or conceal federal crimes,” said Principal Deputy Assistant ttorney General DiCiccio. According to court documents, Fai made a series of false statements and epresents in order to prevent the Justice Department, FBI, Department of Treasury and the IRS from learning about the source of the money he received from officials employed by the Government of Pakistan and the ISI. “Fai repeatedly submitted annual KAC strategy reports and budgetary requirements o Pakistani Government officials for approval. For instance, in 2009, Fai sent the ISI a document entitled Plan of Action of KAC / K a s hmi r C e nt re , Washington, DC, for the Fiscal Year 2010”, which temised KAC’s 2010 budget request of $658,000 and listed Fai’s plans to secure US congressional upport for US action in support of Kashmiri self-determination,” the documents revealed. Even while claiming in statement that he and his KAC “have always tried to represent the sentiments of the people of Kashmir, rrespective of the religious background and cultural affiliations”, Fai admitted in the plea agreement hat e routinely submitted his strategy plans and budgets to ISI, specifically to a contact named Javeed Aziz han, also known as “Brigadier Abdullah”. How deep the ISIs’ involvement was in KAC’s activities has been revealed by the court documents. When Fai planned the agenda for his 2009 “Peace Conference”, han sent him a list of 18 suggested topics. Of the 10 sessions eventually included on the conference genda, six were taken directly from Khan’s suggestions. Khan at times would admonish Fai for making ecisions without ISI’s approval. FBI cited one of the witnesses as saying that Fai’s Pakistani handlers determined 80 per cent of Fai’s work, with a mere 20 per cent being his own. Fai, according to the court documents, accepted the transfer of money to KAC from the ISI and the Government of Pakistan hrough his co-defendant Zaheer Ahmad, who would route the money through several US-based straw onors. Ahmad, a Pakistani American, had been charged along with Fai, but he escaped arrest. In O c t o b , wo rd c am e t h at Ahmad had died in Pakistan of brain hemorrhage.
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