Special NIA court orders attachment of property of US-based Kashmiri lobbyist

Fai, originally from Wadwan Budgam, is currently living in the US. He was declared as a proclaimed offender last year

A special NIA court of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday ordered attachment of properties belonging to prominent separatist leader Ghulam Nabi Fai, a US-based Kashmiri lobbyist and convicted agent of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

The order further said that this court is satisfied from the record that the accused, despite being given an opportunity to appear before the IO, has deliberately concealed himself, as such , this court is constrained to issue order for attachment of property in terms of Section 83 CrPC. (File)

Fai, originally from Wadwan Budgam, is currently living in the US. He was declared as a proclaimed offender last year. NIA special judge authorised the seizure of over 1.5 kanals (approximately 8,100 sq. ft.) of land across two villages -- Wadwan and Chattabugh.

After Fai failed to appear before the investigation officer (IO), the NIA court in Budgam ordered attachment of his properties. “Since, the prosecution has sought attachment of the property in terms of Section 83 of Cr PC (85 of BNSS)... The court issuing a proclamation under Section 82 may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, at any time after the issue of proclamation, order the attachment of any property moveable or immovable or both belonging to the proclaimed offender. Persual of the record would suggest that Ghulam Nabi Shah @ Fai is booked for the commission of crime under Sections 10,13 and 39 of UAP Act by police station Budgam. This court vide order dated May 26, 2025, on a motion of the prosecution declared Fai as a proclaimed absconder in terms of Section 82 of CrPC (84 of BNSS) and a proclamation came to be issued with the direction that the proclamation shall be publically read in some conspicuous place of town or village where the accused was residing and it shall be affixed at some conspicuous part of the house or homestead, in which such person was residing or to some conspicuous place of town or Village. The direction was given to the accused to appear before the IO in FIR no. 46 /2020 within a period of 30 days from the date of issuance of the proclamation but accused has choose not to appear, as such , evaded the process which compelled the IO move an application under Section 83 of CrPC (85 of BNSS) for attachment of property,” reads the order of special judge NIA.

The order further said that this court is satisfied from the record that the accused, despite being given an opportunity to appear before the IO, has deliberately concealed himself, as such , this court is constrained to issue order for attachment of property in terms of Section 83 CrPC.

The court, as per revenue records, said that the accused is owner of land measuring 1 kannal and 2 marlas situated at Chattabugh village. “Keeping in view the above observations, in terms of Section 83(4) of CrPC, this court directs the district collector Budgam to attach the immovable property of land measuring 1 kannal and 2 marlas in village Wadwan and land measuring 11 marlas at Chattabugh village and take possession forthwith,” the order read.

Dr Fai has been booked under Sections 10, 13 and 39 of the ULA(P) Act and Section 66 of the IT Act at Budgam police station.

Fai heads the Washington-based Kashmiri American Council (KAC), which the police say is backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and is known for propagating Pakistan’s narrative on Kashmir.

Fai was charged and sentenced in 2012-13 in US for “conspiring to act as Pakistani agents in the United States without registering as foreign agents”. During his US trial, federal prosecutors said that Fai had lied about holding a doctorate degree, a title he used for decades to bolster his credibility in political circles.

An FBI affidavit filed in court in 2011 had said Fai and the group received “several million dollars from Pakistan and its military spy agency, the ISI, since the mid-1990s in an effort to influence the US government’s position on Kashmir”. Fai had pleaded guilty for lobbying.

Terror associate held

Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested a terrorist associate in Awantipora and recovered arms and ammunition from his possession, said officials on Tuesday.

Police along with Army’s 50 RR and CRPF 185 battalion during cordon and search operation at Wuyan Khrew, arrested a terrorist associate identified as Javid Ahmad Hajam of Gulab Bagh Tral.

“During search, arms and ammunition, including 1 pistol, 5 live rounds of pistol, were recovered from his possession. The arrested terrorist associate is involved in providing logistics support and transportation of arms and ammunition to the terrorists in Pampore, Tral and Awantipora areas of police district Awantipora,” he said.

Accordingly a case under relevant sections of law has been registered and investigation has been initiated.