Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai

Washington, March 30 (Agencies): A US judge today gave an American of Kashmiri origin a two-year prison sentence after he admitted secretly receiving millions of dollars from the ISI while lobbying in the US.

Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai, 62, a naturalised US citizen, pleaded guilty in December to conspiracy and tax violations dating back to 1990 for a scheme to conceal some $3.5 million that came from Pakistan to fund his lobbying efforts over Kashmir.

US district judge Liam ’Grady in Alexandria, Virginia, handed down the prison sentence for Fai, to be followed by three years of probation. Prosecutors had urged the judge to sentence him to four years in prison while Fai argued he should be sentenced to home confinement.       

Fai served as the executive director of the Kashmiri American Council, which described itself as a non-profit organisation run by Kashmiris and funded by Americans.

But US authorities have said some of the money came from ISI and that he failed to register as an agent of a foreign government as required under US law.

Prosecutors said Fai tried to draw the attention of US officials to India’s actions in Kashmir and away from Pakistan’s own ambitions in the region.

“Syed Fai is today being held accountable for his role in a decades-long scheme to conceal the fact that the government of Pakistan was secretly funding his efforts to influence US policy on Kashmir,” said assistant attorney general Lisa Monaco, head of the justice department’s National Security Division. The Pakistani government has denied any knowledge of Fai’s activities.

Judge ’Grady also asked Fai not to maintain any contact with officials and agents of the Pakistan government and ISI. “You participated in a conspiracy to defraud the US and completely deceive the IRS (Internal Revenue Service).

“You knew Pakistan and the ISI was paying you in a manner because your actions would be consistent with theirs and you would represent their voice and you were willing to do so,” the judge said before announcing the verdict.

Judge ’Grady also said: “He (Fai) clearly knew, he is being paid... Pakistan has lost wars with India on Kashmir and so Pakistan is looking for other means to achieve its objectives.”

Fai was arrested by the FBI on July 19 last year and had subsequently pleaded guilty before the court. Fai also requested the court to allow him to surrender after graduation of his daughter on June 25 which was granted.