Did a Special NIA Court in J&K Order Property Attachment of US-Based Kashmiri Lobbyist?
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Srinagar, Dec 23 (NationPress) A Special NIA court located in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir has recently mandated the attachment of property belonging to a Kashmiri lobbyist residing in the United States, identified as Ghulam Nabi Shah, also known as Dr Fai.
According to officials, the court has directed the attachment of approximately 1.5 kanals (equivalent to 1,5×5,445 sq ft) of land associated with Dr Fai.
The order was issued by the judge of the Special NIA court following a request from Assistant Public Prosecutor Mohammad Iqbal Rather, who sought the property attachment under Section 83 of the Criminal Procedure Code (85 of BNSS). This action stems from a previous ruling where the court classified the accused as an absconder in a case filed in 2020 under multiple sections of the UAPA.
The judge's order specified, “This court instructs Collector Budgam to seize the immovable property comprising of land measuring one kanal and two marlas under Khewat No 60, survey No 466 in village Wadwan, alongside land measuring 11 marlas under Khewat No 136, Survey No 343 situated in village Chattabugh (owned by Fai), and to take possession immediately. Prior to the property attachment, the District Collector Budgam must coordinate with revenue authorities to accurately identify and demarcate the property,” as detailed in a seven-page judicial order.
The court also instructed the Budgam Senior Superintendent of Police to offer any necessary assistance to the Collector during the property attachment process.
The J&K Police have been actively attaching properties of terrorists, their overground workers (OGWs), and sympathizers as part of efforts to dismantle the entire support system for terrorism.
Ghulam Nabi Shah, known as Dr Fai, is a US citizen of Kashmiri descent and a member of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) organization in Kashmir.
He established the Kashmir American Council in the United States and has lobbied on behalf of Kashmiri separatist factions and the government of Pakistan.
In 2011, the US government labeled the Kashmir American Council as a front for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
On July 19, 2011, the FBI apprehended him for operating as an unregistered foreign agent, hiding the transfer of USD 3.5 million from Pakistan's ISI to finance his lobbying efforts and sway the US government regarding the Kashmir dispute.