Kashmir court gives go-ahead to attach properties of US-based separatist lobbyist
Originally a resident of Wadwan village in central Kashmir's Budgam, Ghulam Nabi Fai now heads the Kashmir World Forum for Peace and Justice in the US.
Originally a resident of Wadwan village in central Kashmir's Budgam, Ghulam Nabi Fai is a United States-based separatist lobbyist, heading the Kashmir World Forum for Peace and Justice. (File photo)
Seven months after he was declared a proclaimed offender, a special court in Kashmirhas ordered the attachment of immovable property belonging to Ghulam Nabi Fai under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Originally a resident of Wadwan village in central Kashmir’s Budgam, Fai is a United States-based separatist lobbyist, heading the Kashmir World Forum for Peace and Justice.
A Special NIA court in Budgam ordered the attachment of land measuring a little over one and a half kanal or 0.2 acres belonging to Fai in Budgam.
“This court is satisfied from the record that the accused (Fai), despite being given an opportunity to appear before the IO (investigating officer), has deliberately and intentionally concealed himself. As such, this court is constrained to issue an order for attachment of property,” Special Judge NIA Budgam Yahaya Firdous said in his order. “This court directs District Collector Budgam to attach the immovable property of land in village Wadwan and village Chattabugh and take possession forthwith.”
In May this year, the special court in Budgam declared Fai a proclaimed offender in a case filed by the police in 2020 under the UAPA. The court gave Fai 30 days to present himself before the police.
The court, in its order, directed the District Collector Budgam to “identify and demarcate the property” before its attachment and directed the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Budgam to provide “necessary support, if required”.
The 76-year-old Fai is a US citizen. A resident of Budgam, he left the Valley after completing his bachelor’s degree. He left for Saudi Arabia in the 1970s and subsequently moved to the US, where he acquired citizenship in the early 1990s.
Story continues below this ad
In the United States, Fai founded the Kashmir American Council along with other Kashmiri diaspora to lobby for Kashmiri separatists. In 2011, Fai was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for acting as an “unregistered foreign agent” and concealing foreign funding. He was sentenced to two years in jail.
The order to attach his property comes three days after the special court in Budgam issued a non-bailable warrant against the Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen chief, Mohammad Yousuf Shah alias Syed Salah-ud-din, in a UAPA case.
Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter.
Expertise and Experience
Two Decades of Frontline Reporting: Bashaarat has spent 20 years documenting the evolution of Kashmir, from high-intensity conflict and political shifts to socio-economic development.
Award-Winning Investigative Journalism: He is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award (2012). This honor was bestowed for his reporting on the Pathribal fake encounter, a series of stories that highlighted his ability to handle sensitive human rights and security issues with investigative rigor.
Specialized Beats: His authoritative coverage spans:
Political Transitions: Tracking the shift from statehood to Union Territory, electoral dynamics, and the pulse of local governance.
Security & Conflict: Providing nuanced reporting on counter-insurgency, civil liberties, and the impact of the conflict on the civilian population.
Development: Documenting the infrastructure, healthcare, and educational landscape within the Valley.
Academic Background: He holds a Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Kashmir, providing him with a localized academic and professional foundation that is rare in regional reporting. ... Read More
