Fai Arrested , 'Hai-Fai' among Kashmiri Pandits

[Nirvana]

As Pak lobbyist falls on ISI sword, 'Hai-Fai' among Kashmiri Pandits

WASHINGTON: They watched him with envy and resentment for nearly two decades as he hijacked the ''Kashmir issue'' in the US. He called his outfit ''Kashmir American Council'' but they felt it was more a ''Kashmiri Muslims' American Council'.'' Bankrolled by Pakistanis and their intelligence agency ISI, he falsified facts, distorted perspective, and exaggerated issues, blustering and buying his way into American political discourse.

But with US investigators exposing Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai as a Pakistani ISI stooge, long suffering Kashmiri Pandits are rejoicing. As far as they are concerned, Fai was a Pakistani lobbyist, not a Kashmiri activist. ''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,'' says Lalit Koul, President of the Indo-American Kashmir Forum, which works to highlight the plight of the Kashmiri Pandit community, including their ethnic cleansing from J&K by Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.

They had little traction, Koul explains, because the small Pandit community in the US (only about 1500 strong) consisted mainly of professionals who worked on personal time and meager donations. In contrast, Fai was bankrolled by Pakistan's ISI through the 150,000-strong Pakistani community -- according to the FBI, to the extent of $ 500,000 to $ 700,000. every year in recent times. Says Koul, ''The FBI's affidavit and complaint against Dr. Fai clearly demonstrate the strong and well-funded network behind the disinformation campaign of our opponents, which we nevertheless were able to surmount to the extent possible.''

However, some activists are dismayed that while Fai and one of his Pakistani associates (Dr Zaheer Ahmed) have been taken down by the Justice department, the Obama administration has not moved against at least four ISI handlers named in the FBI affidavit. In fact, they are not even listed as defendants in the Fai case even though the affidavit alleges they broke U.S laws with hawala transactions in which they repaid Pakistani-Americans who "contributed" to Fai's KAC in Pakistan, while enabling them claim tax deductions in U.S for donating to an NGO. The Pakistani government itself has so far escaped censure even though the FBI affidavit implicates Islamabad.

Koul and other Kashmiri activists said however that they hoped the FBI action will dismantle the covert operations funded and supported by Pakistan and ''US lawmakers will get an opportunity to listen to the true stories of real victims of terrorism...including our story of being 'refugees in our own country.'''

Meantime, Fai was expected to be produced in a Virginia court on Thursday afternoon for a detention hearing. If convicted on the charges of violating U.S laws on lobbying, he faces a maximum sentence of five years. The Pakistani Embassy in Washington DC has dissociated itself from him saying he is a U.S citizen of Indian-origin and they have nothing to do with him (although the FBI affidavit cites communication between Fai and Pakistani Embassy officials)

Elsewhere, US lawmakers who were part of Fai's ISI-paid seminar circuit are squirming under intense media scrutiny with even small town press from their Congressional districts wanting to know what they were doing hob-nobbing with issues that had little to do with their constituency. Joe Pitts, a Republican lawmaker from Pennsylvania, became the second lawmaker (after Indiana's Dan Burton) to pledge that he will give any money he had received from the Pakistan lobby to a charity. ''Pitts tied to two agents involved in alleged Pakistani plot,'' read the headline in the Intelligencer Journal, a newspaper in Pitts' constituency of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

As Pak lobbyist falls on ISI sword, 'Hai-Fai' among Kashmiri Pandits - The Times of India

Pakistan and ISI funded Kashmiri Groups Presents a Wrong Story of 'Kashmir' to Whole World

They Talk About Human Rights Violations against Muslims But Never Utter a Word about Ethinic Cleansing of 'Kashmiri Pandits' Who were Forced Out Of Kashmir , Some were Forcefully made to Convert Into Islam.

 

[Ignited Mind]

I really never understand what people expect to gain by such stunts as the Kashmir council or whatever.

I mean C'mon! Can't you see you're just wasting your money?

It doesn't matter whether you spend 4 mill or 400 mil. At the end of the day, India is not going to leave Kashmir sans a full fledged war.

At most these puppets can raise a hue and cry among the world but when it comes to bullet points:-

1. Will the world sanction India for Kashmir? NO

2. Will the world wage a war against India for Kashmir? NO

3. Will the world embargo India for Kashmir? NO

...THEN WHAT THE HELL DO YOU EXPECT TO GAIN BY DOING ROUNDS OF THE AMERICAN SENATE AND CONGRESS???

At the end of the day, it is the Indian parliament that will take a decision (assuming one is still to be taken) when it comes to Kashmir.

 

[Ignited Mind]

BTW, what's with Pakistanis disowning those who serve them be it those killed in Kargil or Fai?

 

[jbond197]

The Pakistani Embassy in Washington DC has dissociated itself from him saying he is a U.S citizen of Indian-origin and they have nothing to do with him

So much to the cause of Kashmir. They were funding him to fight for their cause and once caught dissociated from him calling his of India origin. What happened there wasn't he of Kashmiri origin which Pakistan disputes as an Indian territory?

 

[DkBose]

throw this guy in guantanamo jail forever.and give order of 50 f-35 jets for india
thks usa,take strict action against him.

 

[Ignited Mind]

So much to the cause of Kashmir. They were funding him to fight for their cause and once caught dissociated from him calling his of India origin. What happened there wasn't he of Kashmiri origin which Pakistan disputes as an Indian territory?

lol All their claim of 'Indian occupation of Kashmir' are laid bare by this,

I mean just imagine, on one hand the Pakistanis shout from the rooftops about how the Kashmiris are not Indian and when push comes to shove, they cower behind his 'Indian' origin.

So much for Kashmir 'cause'...

 

[notsuperstitious]

So much to the cause of Kashmir. They were funding him to fight for their cause and once caught dissociated from him calling his of India origin. What happened there wasn't he of Kashmiri origin which Pakistan disputes as an Indian territory?

If you had followed the missing person's cases, you would know that expecting moral consistency on matters of ''national interest'' is futile.

In any case all this Pakistani propaganda over Kashmir does not affect us at all. The only victims of this propaganda are Pakistanis themselves. It should concern them more, but the problem is they have no say in matters of ''national interest''.

 

[Ignited Mind]

BTW, as per the Pakistani embassy, if Fai, born in Badgam district of J&K, is of Indian origin, doesn't that automatically mean the Pakistan recognises Kashmiris to be Indians?

 

[Ignited Mind]

If you had followed the missing person's cases, you would know that expecting moral consistency on matters of ''national interest'' is futile.

In any case all this Pakistani propaganda over Kashmir does not affect us at all. The only victims of this propaganda are Pakistanis themselves. It should concern them more, but the problem is they have no say in matters of ''national interest''.

In fact, it's very good for India.

Guess how?

Well, the ore money the Pakistanis waste on such futile and hopeless activities, the less of it they have to build dams, bridges, roads, power plants etc.

Which means less money for development.

Which means less money for the Pakistani economy.

Which means less money for the Pakistani armed forces.

...which is good for us anyways.

Hence, I really look forward to Pakistanis wasting more of their meagre money on such wasteful expenditures.

 

[OrionHunter]

This is all bullshi*!! What's the big deal in Lobbying for a country to push its interests? The question that needs to be asked is WTF was India doing? Why weren't they using lobbyists too to push their agenda?

The fact is that Pakistanis are smarter and way ahead of India in diplomacy and getting things done to their advantage. All we Indians can do is Yakity yak and cry like little babies! Heck, man, we're supposed to be an 'emerging' power, but seeing the way our machinery works, we're no better than Burkina Faso. Ruddy impotent government that never had any strategy in place.

Se we should not be clapping our hands with glee at Fai being hauled up. We should hang our heads in shame as we've become an impotent nation without any direction in foreign policy. Where's the time for this when our political yahoos are busy raping this country of its resources and filling their black money coffers abroad?

 

[jha]

ISI-backed Kashmir lobby group under probe in UK

LONDON/NEW DELHI: The Scotland Yard on Thursday initiated a probe into the activities and financing of London-based Kashmir lobby group, Justice Foundation, suspected to be a front of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence, according to a source in the agency.

The revelation comes a day after the Kashmiri American Council director in Washington DC, Ghulam Nabi Fai, was arrested by the FBI. India will soon write to UK and Belgium to initiate similar action against "Kashmir Centres" in London and Brussels.

A Scotland Yard spokesman told TOI, "We can confirm we are liaising with US authorities."

The British home ministry said it was probably not an offence under UK laws for lobbyists to be under-written by a foreign government or any of its agencies. "To the best of our knowledge, it is not," said a spokesman. This means police and the Crown Prosecution Service will have to take recourse to some other legislation if they proceed against Justice Foundation.

Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai (62) and Zaheer Khan (63), both US citizens, were charged with conspiring to act as agents of a foreign power in violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of US.

In the US, it's a crime to lobby by using money from an overseas regime.

ISI-backed Kashmir lobby group under probe in UK - The Times of India

 

[indushek]

This is all bullshi*!! What's the big deal in Lobbying for a country to push its interests? The question that needs to be asked is WTF was India doing? Why weren't they using lobbyists too to push their agenda?

The fact is that Pakistanis are smarter and way ahead of India in diplomacy and getting things done to their advantage. All we Indians can do is Yakity yak and cry like little babies! Heck, man, we're supposed to be an 'emerging' power, but seeing the way our machinery works, we're no better than Burkina Faso. Ruddy impotent government that never had any strategy in place.

Se we should not be clapping our hands with glee at Fai being hauled up. We should hang our heads in shame as we've become an impotent nation without any direction in foreign policy. Where's the time for this when our political yahoos are busy raping this country of its resources and filling their black money coffers abroad?

My dear we are a growing economy and the money should be used wisely and not to be thrown around.

Why should we be spending money for this kind of thing we don't care if a senate member or some governor in USA says that Kashmir should go to Pakistan. Hell we don't care if their president says it. Lobbying is done only when we want to get something for us, we already have it and we don't need to explain it to anybody.

 

[Ignited Mind]

This is all bullshi*!! What's the big deal in Lobbying for a country to push its interests? The question that needs to be asked is WTF was India doing? Why weren't they using lobbyists too to push their agenda?

The fact is that Pakistanis are smarter and way ahead of India in diplomacy and getting things done to their advantage. All we Indians can do is Yakity yak and cry like little babies! Heck, man, we're supposed to be an 'emerging' power, but seeing the way our machinery works, we're no better than Burkina Faso. Ruddy impotent government that never had any strategy in place.

Se we should not be clapping our hands with glee at Fai being hauled up. We should hang our heads in shame as we've become an impotent nation without any direction in foreign policy. Where's the time for this when our political yahoos are busy raping this country of its resources and filling their black money coffers abroad?

I'm not going to agree with anyone trying to waste my hard earned tax money.

You may waste or even burn yours if you please to.

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

UK is also looking into all these Kashmiri organisations in UK.

What's the big deal in Lobbying for a country to push its interests? The question that needs to be asked is WTF was India doing? Why weren't they using lobbyists too to push their agenda?

Nothing wrong in lobbying.

What is wrong is that the source of fund was not declared with transparency. It was said it was money of charities and 'concerned' citizens.

No mention of Pakistan and no mention of the ISI.

The US has now discovered that it is no one else but the ISI.

 

[notsuperstitious]

This is all bullshi*!! What's the big deal in Lobbying for a country to push its interests? The question that needs to be asked is WTF was India doing? Why weren't they using lobbyists too to push their agenda?

The fact is that Pakistanis are smarter and way ahead of India in diplomacy and getting things done to their advantage. All we Indians can do is Yakity yak and cry like little babies! Heck, man, we're supposed to be an 'emerging' power, but seeing the way our machinery works, we're no better than Burkina Faso. Ruddy impotent government that never had any strategy in place.

Se we should not be clapping our hands with glee at Fai being hauled up. We should hang our heads in shame as we've become an impotent nation without any direction in foreign policy. Where's the time for this when our political yahoos are busy raping this country of its resources and filling their black money coffers abroad?

On one hand you forget that Pakistan's resources are wasted much more than Indias - that there is more corruption in Pakistan than India and much less spend on development.

On the other you mistake the edge of a military mindset run by military for efficiency in the larger picture. You forget the price Pakistan pays for that military mindset run by military men. We don't want to pay that.

Mind you I'm not defending India's system or politicians. I'll have to be insane to say that. There's infinite scope of improvement there. But Pakistan is not my role model.