By Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 7: In a major decision aimed at exposing separatists, individuals, NGOs and other organisations supporting United States based Kashmir separatist Sayyid Ghulam Nabi alias Fai, a resident of Soibugh, Badgam, the State Government today constituted a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to investigate all pending cases against Fai and unearth identity of persons, who had received hawala money from different channels at the behest of separatist leader.
Uttam Chand, an IPS officer, presently posted as SSP Badgam, would head the SIT, official sources said, adding that other members to the SIT would be nominated soon. The Government has directed the SIT to start its task soon to unravel the entire nexus of Fai operating in Jammu and Kashmir and hawala funds received by various individuals including separatists, journalists, intellectuals, NGOs etc from the US based separatist leader.
The SIT would submit its report in the minimum possible time.
Sources said a red corner notice could be issued against Fai as police was in possession of enough material against him to prove his involvement in fanning terrorism and using various channels to fund several individuals and organisations with hawala money.
They added the evidence against the Kashmiri separatist leader would be sent to the Ministry of External Affairs, which could pursue the case of his extradition to India after he served two years imprisonment awarded to him by a Virginia Court in the United States recently.
Sources said the Badgam SSP had been made head of the SIT as Fai was a native of village Soibugh in Badgam district and a Public Safety Act (PSA) warrant issued against him by the then District Magistrate in Badgam in 1980 for his involvement in anti-national activities was still pending against him in police records. After the issuance of PSA warrant, Fai had fled the Kashmir valley and reached Saudi Arabia before finally settling in the United States where he had floated Kashmir American Council (KAC), which was brazenly back by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Fai had used the ISI funds to sponsor various NGOs, Kashmiri separatist leaders, journalists and other individuals and organisations to espouse the cause of Pakistan sponsored militancy in the Valley. As reported, hawala funds running into several crores had been routed through different channels by Fai for his supporters in Jammu and Kashmir and other States to carry out anti-India campaign, allege fake human rights violations to defame security forces and propagate the cause of Pakistan over Kashmir.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters today, Director General of Police (DGP) Kuldeep Khoda said: “”the cases against Fai will be carried forward and investigated to reach to their logical conclusion”.
“The investigation will include issuance of red corner notices and other steps which are required to be taken in this regard”, he said.
On whether the SIT would deal with the issue of Fai and his activities in Jammu and Kashmir, the DGP said, “(it is meant for) Fai and other associates, who will figure during the course of scrutiny of records of various international activities which have taken place”.
“We have to sum up these operatives who are connected in the situation in J&K. We have to carry forward cases of these people”, he said, adding “these people have figured prominently over the years in the cases whether it is Hafiz Saeed, Syed Sallahuddin and Ghulam Nabi Fai and others”.
“We have also found that there are certain activities of theirs in the past which required to be further probed into– including Fai’s”, Mr Khoda said.
Asked if the Government will take action against those people in the State, who wrote in support of Fai to the US Court, the DGP said, “We have certain records available which indicated his (Fai’s) anti-national activities in the past before he disappeared from here in the early 80s”.
He said, “during the course of investigation, SIT will find out whatever action is to be taken under laws that will be taken– we cannot pre-decide these issues– as to who has what role.
“We have to see who is culpable and who is not culpable– all this is based on the evidence which comes forward– which comes to notice during the investigation– scrutiny of records and also understanding the legal implications of those actions,” Mr Khoda said, adding, “I will not bind them (SIT) with any sorts of any do’s and don’ts– let us see how it proceeds”.
Meanwhile, knowledgeable sources revealed that Fai had told FBI agents in March 2007 that he had never met anyone who identified himself as being affiliated with the ISI. But confronted by the prosecution counsel with irrefutable evidence during his prosecution, Fai confessed having met with at least 4 ISI handlers and talked to them 4000 times during 2008. Two ISI officials, who had been in regular touch with Fai, have already been identified as Sohail Mehmood alias S Mir and Tauqeer Mehmood Bhat.
Fai had also claimed that he had not been receiving funding from Pakistan nor was he pushing Pakistan’s Kashmir cause in political, intellectual and academic circles in the Untied States. But Centre for Research Politics, a US-based centre has interviewed Congressman Dan Burton, who was perhaps the first US Congressman to fall in the net of Fai. Pakistani English daily Dawn of February 10, 2012 quoted a columnist as saying: “in July 2011, Burton was revealed by an FBI investigation to have received tainted election funds ultimately traced to the military intelligence services of Pakistan, apparently as a quid pro quo for “supporting to Pakistan’s position on Kashmir”.
These funds were routed via Fai headed KAC. Subsequently, Burton’s office donated the funds to charity. Burton had long been portrayed as a “good friend of Pakistan” and, over the course of many years, regularly issued pro-Pakistan and anti-India statements, both of which ceased following the revelations regarding the funds from Pakistan.
FBI sources have made more revelations of American personalities receiving Fai’s largesse.  He gave $ 250 a piece to former Vice President Al Gore, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), former Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) and President Barak Obama during Obama’s 2008 presidential bid, $ 500 a piece to Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Reps. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) and Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.).
He gave $1,000 to the then -Sen. Bob Kasten (R-Wisc.) and $ 2,000 a piece to Reps. Jim Moran (D-Va.) and Joe Pitts (R-Penn.). Fai has also given $ 9,500 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and $ 250 to both the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
A press release of East Virginia Attorney’s office of March 30, 2011 stated that Fai repeatedly submitted annual KAC strategy reports and budgetary requirements to Pakistani Government officials for approval.  For instance, in 2009, he sent the ISI a document entitled “Plan of Action of KAC / Kashmir Centre, Washington, D.C., for the Fiscal Year 2010,” which itemized KAC’s 2010 budget request of $ 658,000 and listed Fai’s plans to secure US Congressional support for US action in support of Kashmiri self-determination.
The Bloomberg Business Week of March 30, 2011, reported prosecutors saying in a court filing that a search of Fai’s home, office and a storage facility turned up documents detailing the council’s Washington strategies, including budget requirements for contributions to members of Congress and trips to Kashmir for lawmakers, money for opinion pieces distributed to the media, and money for seminars and conferences.
One document found in the course of search, called for $ 100,000 for contributions to members of Congress in 2009, prosecutors said. Fai, who admitted the conspiracy took place from 1990 until July 18, 2011, said he submitted annual budget requests of about $ 500,000 to $ 700,000 to officials of the Government of Pakistan, including the ISI. Seminars/conferences and travel and hospitality and gratification to the participants of seminars/symposia/conferences were undertaken by KAC with all frugality.
For example in connection with participants from India to the 11th annual conference of KAC, a national newspaper quoting from the footnotes of Attorney’s report had said, “Mirwaiz Umer Farooq was supported and controlled by the ISI. Fai invited Attiya Inayatullah to KAC conferences at the ISI’s direction. Gautam Navlakha was introduced to an ISI General for recruitment by Fai at the ISI’s behest”. Navlakha is a civil rights activist in India. Prominent among those who wrote a letter in support of Fai to the US District Judge seeking leniency were Rajmohan Gandhi, Ved Bhasin, Karen Parker, Zaffer A Shah, Zahid G Muhammad and Hamida Bano.
According to an overview of the KAC conference sent to the media after the 2009 event by Fai, Ved Bhasin was quoted as advocating for Kashmir as an independent state in South Asia.
“The only solution is an independent state in South Asia. The status quo is not a solution, the division of the State is not a solution,” reported Kashmir Images of 22 July, 2011 quoting Ved Bhasin.  Prof. Hamida Bano was among Fai’s beneficiaries but inclusion of Jatinder Bakhshi, rather a non-descript Kashmir Pandit migrant entity remained a mystery.
One Zaheer Ahmad, a Pakistani American identified by FBI as Fai’s accomplice in securing funds from “straw donors”. They would be reimbursed later on from funds coming from ISI. Dependable sources said that Ahmad was in Pakistan at the time when Fai was arrested. After learning about Fai’s arrest Ahmad avoided returning to the US.
But then in November 2011, news came that he had died of a sudden heart attack. The news of his death was hushed up and nothing more was told about the circumstances in which he died. Sources alleged that it could have been the handiwork of ISI because Ahmad, an old time ISI agent was privy to a number of persons directly and indirectly involved in Faigate.
The Telegraph of 21 July reported that several Indian journalists and activists had also accepted the invitation from the group to take part in seminars in the US, which involved business class travel and “some luxury”. Sources said journalists such as Kuldip Nayar, Dileep Padgaonkar, Harinder Baweja, Ved Bhasin, Rajmohan Gandhi and activists Rita Manchanda and Gautam Navlakha and politician Subramanian Swamy had attended some of these seminars. Bharat Bhushan, who writes on India-Pakistan relations and is a former journalist with The Telegraph, declined to deny or confirm if he participated in any event organized by the group.
Siddharth Varadarajan, National Bureau Chief of The Hindu, said Fai invited him to attend a seminar in 2009. “But I declined,” Varadarajan said. What aroused Varadarajan’s suspicion was Fai having listed India’s envoy to Washington Meera Shankar as one of the speakers at the event. “I checked with my sources on how come she was attending? They told me she wasn’t,” Varadarajan said.
Veteran journalist Dileep Padgaonkar said he did not remember the year now but he “quite liked the meeting and did not suspect any hanky-panky”. The journalist said he felt there was a need to put forward the Indian point of view even if the outfit was pro-Pakistan. “We had no idea about Fai’s connections. I wouldn’t have gone had I known or had there been even the faintest of suspicions (about the source of the KAC funds)” he added.
In the news bulletin of April 7, Zee news said that the NGO Committee of ECOSO had rejected the application made by Fai in 1999 for grant of ECOSOC status. Indian member-delegate to NGO Committee had some doubts. Soon after a Delhi-based NGO, Asian-Eurasian Human Rights Forum (AEHRF) applied for the same status in 2000.
Pakistani delegation blocked Indian NGO’s application on one pretext or the other for a couple of years, and finally, Fai, with ISI prompting, approached the representative of AEHRF in New York to persuade the Indian member to accept mutual agreement. The AEHRF representative turned down his request, and till date, AEHRF’s application continued to be deferred by the NGO although it has answered more than a hundred questions put to it during past 12 years.
The Brussels branch chief of Fai’s Kashmir Centre, namely Barrister Tramboo, was extraordinarily active to garner support against Ema Nicholson’s report on Kashmir assigned to her by the European parliament. Fai with all his paraphernalia and a damage controlling team from ISI entrenched in Brussels and maneuvered successfully the watering down of the original report through money power. This is the same Tramboo, who, in order to settle his multi-million outstanding transaction case with the J&K government (probably the Tourist Department), was offered legal assistance by a Supreme Court advocate of Kashmiri origin in return of a hefty amount of fee.
As reported, a warrant under Public Safety Act (PSA) issued by the District Magistrate, Badgam on August 4, 1980 against Fai for his involvement in anti-national activities in Kashmir. However, he deserted the Valley before he could be detained under the PSA and since then hasn’t returned to India.
Documents available with police and Intelligence agencies revealed that it was Fai, who had sown the seeds of subversion and anti-national activities in seventies before deserting Kashmir in 1980. He started his activities from the United States in nineties with the help of Pakistan and its agencies including the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Fai along with United States based one Angana Chatterjee had tried to win over a controversial female Indian writer through all possible means including money to raise the issue of human rights abuses in Kashmir and defame security forces especially Army with a view to champion the cause of Kashmiris.
The female writer had recently been in news for sharing platform with a separatist writer in the Kashmir Valley and a Public Interest Litigation had also been filed against her in the court for registering a case of sedition. The Intelligence input revealed that the conspiracy by Fai was made in February 2011. The conspiracy was now part of official Intelligence documents.
“Dr Fai had funded an American Television channel reporter, Dr Rachel Maddow and made him to visit Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) in February 2011 to shoot certain programmes in which PoK citizens were shown claiming human rights violations in Kashmir”, sources said.
Sohail Mehmood alias S Mir and Tauqeer Mehmood Bhat, two top officers of Pakistan’s Intelligence Agencies (ISI) were in regular touch with Fai. They had generated all resources for a “100 hour vigil”, a programme sponsored by Fai held at Pennsylvania, United States in which many speakers had alleged human rights violations in Kashmir.
Sources said there were many more Indian writers, intellectuals, journalists, NGOs and other individuals and organisations with whom Fai was in regular touch and managed to win over them to carry out Pakistani propaganda on Kashmir issue.
Fai had worked as General Manager in `Azan’ newspaper at Srinagar, which, according to sources, was also used in seventies for fanning subversion in Kashmir and instigate Kashmiri people against India. He had tried to float a militant outfit, Muslim Students Military Force but hadn’t succeeded in giving a formal shape to it as he deserted Kashmir on issuance of PSA warrant against him, sources said.

By Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 7: In a major decision aimed at exposing separatists, individuals, NGOs and other organisations supporting United States based Kashmir separatist Sayyid Ghulam Nabi alias Fai, a resident of Soibugh, Badgam, the State Government today constituted a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to investigate all pending cases against Fai and unearth identity of persons, who had received hawala money from different channels at the behest of separatist leader.
Uttam Chand, an IPS officer, presently posted as SSP Badgam, would head the SIT, official sources said, adding that other members to the SIT would be nominated soon. The Government has directed the SIT to start its task soon to unravel the entire nexus of Fai operating in Jammu and Kashmir and hawala funds received by various individuals including separatists, journalists, intellectuals, NGOs etc from the US based separatist leader.
The SIT would submit its report in the minimum possible time.
Sources said a red corner notice could be issued against Fai as police was in possession of enough material against him to prove his involvement in fanning terrorism and using various channels to fund several individuals and organisations with hawala money.
They added the evidence against the Kashmiri separatist leader would be sent to the Ministry of External Affairs, which could pursue the case of his extradition to India after he served two years imprisonment awarded to him by a Virginia Court in the United States recently.
Sources said the Badgam SSP had been made head of the SIT as Fai was a native of village Soibugh in Badgam district and a Public Safety Act (PSA) warrant issued against him by the then District Magistrate in Badgam in 1980 for his involvement in anti-national activities was still pending against him in police records. After the issuance of PSA warrant, Fai had fled the Kashmir valley and reached Saudi Arabia before finally settling in the United States where he had floated Kashmir American Council (KAC), which was brazenly back by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Fai had used the ISI funds to sponsor various NGOs, Kashmiri separatist leaders, journalists and other individuals and organisations to espouse the cause of Pakistan sponsored militancy in the Valley. As reported, hawala funds running into several crores had been routed through different channels by Fai for his supporters in Jammu and Kashmir and other States to carry out anti-India campaign, allege fake human rights violations to defame security forces and propagate the cause of Pakistan over Kashmir.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters today, Director General of Police (DGP) Kuldeep Khoda said: “”the cases against Fai will be carried forward and investigated to reach to their logical conclusion”.
“The investigation will include issuance of red corner notices and other steps which are required to be taken in this regard”, he said.
On whether the SIT would deal with the issue of Fai and his activities in Jammu and Kashmir, the DGP said, “(it is meant for) Fai and other associates, who will figure during the course of scrutiny of records of various international activities which have taken place”.
“We have to sum up these operatives who are connected in the situation in J&K. We have to carry forward cases of these people”, he said, adding “these people have figured prominently over the years in the cases whether it is Hafiz Saeed, Syed Sallahuddin and Ghulam Nabi Fai and others”.
“We have also found that there are certain activities of theirs in the past which required to be further probed into– including Fai’s”, Mr Khoda said.
Asked if the Government will take action against those people in the State, who wrote in support of Fai to the US Court, the DGP said, “We have certain records available which indicated his (Fai’s) anti-national activities in the past before he disappeared from here in the early 80s”.
He said, “during the course of investigation, SIT will find out whatever action is to be taken under laws that will be taken– we cannot pre-decide these issues– as to who has what role.
“We have to see who is culpable and who is not culpable– all this is based on the evidence which comes forward– which comes to notice during the investigation– scrutiny of records and also understanding the legal implications of those actions,” Mr Khoda said, adding, “I will not bind them (SIT) with any sorts of any do’s and don’ts– let us see how it proceeds”.
Meanwhile, knowledgeable sources revealed that Fai had told FBI agents in March 2007 that he had never met anyone who identified himself as being affiliated with the ISI. But confronted by the prosecution counsel with irrefutable evidence during his prosecution, Fai confessed having met with at least 4 ISI handlers and talked to them 4000 times during 2008. Two ISI officials, who had been in regular touch with Fai, have already been identified as Sohail Mehmood alias S Mir and Tauqeer Mehmood Bhat.
Fai had also claimed that he had not been receiving funding from Pakistan nor was he pushing Pakistan’s Kashmir cause in political, intellectual and academic circles in the Untied States. But Centre for Research Politics, a US-based centre has interviewed Congressman Dan Burton, who was perhaps the first US Congressman to fall in the net of Fai. Pakistani English daily Dawn of February 10, 2012 quoted a columnist as saying: “in July 2011, Burton was revealed by an FBI investigation to have received tainted election funds ultimately traced to the military intelligence services of Pakistan, apparently as a quid pro quo for “supporting to Pakistan’s position on Kashmir”.
These funds were routed via Fai headed KAC. Subsequently, Burton’s office donated the funds to charity. Burton had long been portrayed as a “good friend of Pakistan” and, over the course of many years, regularly issued pro-Pakistan and anti-India statements, both of which ceased following the revelations regarding the funds from Pakistan.
FBI sources have made more revelations of American personalities receiving Fai’s largesse. He gave $ 250 a piece to former Vice President Al Gore, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), former Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) and President Barak Obama during Obama’s 2008 presidential bid, $ 500 a piece to Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Reps. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) and Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.).
He gave $1,000 to the then -Sen. Bob Kasten (R-Wisc.) and $ 2,000 a piece to Reps. Jim Moran (D-Va.) and Joe Pitts (R-Penn.). Fai has also given $ 9,500 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and $ 250 to both the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
A press release of East Virginia Attorney’s office of March 30, 2011 stated that Fai repeatedly submitted annual KAC strategy reports and budgetary requirements to Pakistani Government officials for approval. For instance, in 2009, he sent the ISI a document entitled “Plan of Action of KAC / Kashmir Centre, Washington, D.C., for the Fiscal Year 2010,” which itemized KAC’s 2010 budget request of $ 658,000 and listed Fai’s plans to secure US Congressional support for US action in support of Kashmiri self-determination.
The Bloomberg Business Week of March 30, 2011, reported prosecutors saying in a court filing that a search of Fai’s home, office and a storage facility turned up documents detailing the council’s Washington strategies, including budget requirements for contributions to members of Congress and trips to Kashmir for lawmakers, money for opinion pieces distributed to the media, and money for seminars and conferences.
One document found in the course of search, called for $ 100,000 for contributions to members of Congress in 2009, prosecutors said. Fai, who admitted the conspiracy took place from 1990 until July 18, 2011, said he submitted annual budget requests of about $ 500,000 to $ 700,000 to officials of the Government of Pakistan, including the ISI. Seminars/conferences and travel and hospitality and gratification to the participants of seminars/symposia/conferences were undertaken by KAC with all frugality.
For example in connection with participants from India to the 11th annual conference of KAC, a national newspaper quoting from the footnotes of Attorney’s report had said, “Mirwaiz Umer Farooq was supported and controlled by the ISI. Fai invited Attiya Inayatullah to KAC conferences at the ISI’s direction. Gautam Navlakha was introduced to an ISI General for recruitment by Fai at the ISI’s behest”. Navlakha is a civil rights activist in India. Prominent among those who wrote a letter in support of Fai to the US District Judge seeking leniency were Rajmohan Gandhi, Ved Bhasin, Karen Parker, Zaffer A Shah, Zahid G Muhammad and Hamida Bano.
According to an overview of the KAC conference sent to the media after the 2009 event by Fai, Ved Bhasin was quoted as advocating for Kashmir as an independent state in South Asia.
“The only solution is an independent state in South Asia. The status quo is not a solution, the division of the State is not a solution,” reported Kashmir Images of 22 July, 2011 quoting Ved Bhasin. Prof. Hamida Bano was among Fai’s beneficiaries but inclusion of Jatinder Bakhshi, rather a non-descript Kashmir Pandit migrant entity remained a mystery.
One Zaheer Ahmad, a Pakistani American identified by FBI as Fai’s accomplice in securing funds from “straw donors”. They would be reimbursed later on from funds coming from ISI. Dependable sources said that Ahmad was in Pakistan at the time when Fai was arrested. After learning about Fai’s arrest Ahmad avoided returning to the US.
But then in November 2011, news came that he had died of a sudden heart attack. The news of his death was hushed up and nothing more was told about the circumstances in which he died. Sources alleged that it could have been the handiwork of ISI because Ahmad, an old time ISI agent was privy to a number of persons directly and indirectly involved in Faigate.
The Telegraph of 21 July reported that several Indian journalists and activists had also accepted the invitation from the group to take part in seminars in the US, which involved business class travel and “some luxury”. Sources said journalists such as Kuldip Nayar, Dileep Padgaonkar, Harinder Baweja, Ved Bhasin, Rajmohan Gandhi and activists Rita Manchanda and Gautam Navlakha and politician Subramanian Swamy had attended some of these seminars. Bharat Bhushan, who writes on India-Pakistan relations and is a former journalist with The Telegraph, declined to deny or confirm if he participated in any event organized by the group.
Siddharth Varadarajan, National Bureau Chief of The Hindu, said Fai invited him to attend a seminar in 2009. “But I declined,” Varadarajan said. What aroused Varadarajan’s suspicion was Fai having listed India’s envoy to Washington Meera Shankar as one of the speakers at the event. “I checked with my sources on how come she was attending? They told me she wasn’t,” Varadarajan said.
Veteran journalist Dileep Padgaonkar said he did not remember the year now but he “quite liked the meeting and did not suspect any hanky-panky”. The journalist said he felt there was a need to put forward the Indian point of view even if the outfit was pro-Pakistan. “We had no idea about Fai’s connections. I wouldn’t have gone had I known or had there been even the faintest of suspicions (about the source of the KAC funds)” he added.
In the news bulletin of April 7, Zee news said that the NGO Committee of ECOSO had rejected the application made by Fai in 1999 for grant of ECOSOC status. Indian member-delegate to NGO Committee had some doubts. Soon after a Delhi-based NGO, Asian-Eurasian Human Rights Forum (AEHRF) applied for the same status in 2000.
Pakistani delegation blocked Indian NGO’s application on one pretext or the other for a couple of years, and finally, Fai, with ISI prompting, approached the representative of AEHRF in New York to persuade the Indian member to accept mutual agreement. The AEHRF representative turned down his request, and till date, AEHRF’s application continued to be deferred by the NGO although it has answered more than a hundred questions put to it during past 12 years.
The Brussels branch chief of Fai’s Kashmir Centre, namely Barrister Tramboo, was extraordinarily active to garner support against Ema Nicholson’s report on Kashmir assigned to her by the European parliament. Fai with all his paraphernalia and a damage controlling team from ISI entrenched in Brussels and maneuvered successfully the watering down of the original report through money power. This is the same Tramboo, who, in order to settle his multi-million outstanding transaction case with the J&K government (probably the Tourist Department), was offered legal assistance by a Supreme Court advocate of Kashmiri origin in return of a hefty amount of fee.
As reported, a warrant under Public Safety Act (PSA) issued by the District Magistrate, Badgam on August 4, 1980 against Fai for his involvement in anti-national activities in Kashmir. However, he deserted the Valley before he could be detained under the PSA and since then hasn’t returned to India.
Documents available with police and Intelligence agencies revealed that it was Fai, who had sown the seeds of subversion and anti-national activities in seventies before deserting Kashmir in 1980. He started his activities from the United States in nineties with the help of Pakistan and its agencies including the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Fai along with United States based one Angana Chatterjee had tried to win over a controversial female Indian writer through all possible means including money to raise the issue of human rights abuses in Kashmir and defame security forces especially Army with a view to champion the cause of Kashmiris.
The female writer had recently been in news for sharing platform with a separatist writer in the Kashmir Valley and a Public Interest Litigation had also been filed against her in the court for registering a case of sedition. The Intelligence input revealed that the conspiracy by Fai was made in February 2011. The conspiracy was now part of official Intelligence documents.
“Dr Fai had funded an American Television channel reporter, Dr Rachel Maddow and made him to visit Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) in February 2011 to shoot certain programmes in which PoK citizens were shown claiming human rights violations in Kashmir”, sources said.
Sohail Mehmood alias S Mir and Tauqeer Mehmood Bhat, two top officers of Pakistan’s Intelligence Agencies (ISI) were in regular touch with Fai. They had generated all resources for a “100 hour vigil”, a programme sponsored by Fai held at Pennsylvania, United States in which many speakers had alleged human rights violations in Kashmir.
Sources said there were many more Indian writers, intellectuals, journalists, NGOs and other individuals and organisations with whom Fai was in regular touch and managed to win over them to carry out Pakistani propaganda on Kashmir issue.
Fai had worked as General Manager in `Azan’ newspaper at Srinagar, which, according to sources, was also used in seventies for fanning subversion in Kashmir and instigate Kashmiri people against India. He had tried to float a militant outfit, Muslim Students Military Force but hadn’t succeeded in giving a formal shape to it as he deserted Kashmir on issuance of PSA warrant against him, sources said.

By Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 6: After the affairs of the State, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Dr Farooq Abdullah has put the responsibility of the National Conference on the shoulders of the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah by appointing him working president of the party. However, Dr Farooq made it clear that he has no plan to quit State politics and settle in the Centre.
Making an announcement in this regard, Dr Abdullah told media-persons here this morning that due to his busy schedule in the Centre he was not able to take care of party activities and the cadre had ‘resentment’ against him for ignoring the party functioning.
“Notwithstanding the fact that party needs time, I am not in a position to spare enough time for party activities because I, being a Union Minister, have to frequently visit various parts of the country and abroad as such the party has unanimously decided to appoint Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, as working president of the party”, he said.
When asked that Chief Minister was also busy in handling the affairs of a State, which is confronting with many problems, Dr Farooq said, “Omar is not much busy. Moreover, he remains in Jammu and Kashmir and can easily spare required time for managing the affairs of the party and gear up its activities, which are imperative to further strengthen the party”.
Asked whether making Omar working president of the party can be presumed that he has decided to quit State politics, Dr Farooq said, “I have no plan to quit State politics and settle in the Centre”, adding “I will continue as National Conference president and would keep reviewing the happenings in the party as its head”.
He informed that MLA Sheikh Mustafa Kamal has been made additional general secretary of the party and Member Parliament Shafi Uri as Chief Spokesperson. MLA from Kishtwar, Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo is the party’s spokesperson for Jammu region and Tanvir Sadiq as spokesperson for Kashmir province. Prominent Gujjar leader Abdul Rashid Badana has been made vice-president of Gujjar and Bakerwal Cell of National Conference.
Dr Farooq said that he has directed all the party Ministers to start visiting different areas of Jammu region before Darbar Move to take stock of people’s grievances. “They have also been asked to give prior information to the party about their visits so that local units of the National Conference in the visiting areas are alerted for better coordination and strengthening the party activities”, he added.
In response to a question about the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association scam, Dr Farooq said, “police is investigating the matter and auditors are on job”, adding “we had written to the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) to appoint their auditors but they wanted to conduct an independent investigation of JKCA accounts. Hopefully, independent auditors would be in State within next few days”.
“We want to make things clear and expose the culprits. We want to know how the funds were misused and who actually did it”, the Union Minister said, adding “we have decided not to lay the foundation stone of cricket stadium at Bajalta unless the ongoing investigation into the embezzlement of funds in the JKCA is completed”.
About allegations leveled by PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti against him over Haji Yousaf incident, he said that no money was ever collected by Haji Yousaf for the National Conference. “If he had collected the money that might be for his own use”, he further said, adding “every thing would be clear when Justice Bedi would submit his report”.
Responding to a question about the meeting of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President, Asif Ali Zardari, Dr Farooq said, “I as National Conference president welcomes Zardari’s visit to India and hope that Zardari’s visit would bring both the nations closer”.
Hoping that the meeting between Prime Minister and Zardari will be fruitful, he said, “I think Pakistan President will respond to our Prime Minister and both the leaders would succeed in breaking the ice and bringing both the countries together”.
On Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jammat-ud-Dava (JuD) chief Saeed Hafeez, the Union Minister said, “India has already given enough evidences to Pakistan about his involvement in terrorist activities”, adding “our Foreign Minister has already made it clear that Pakistan has to take action against all those who had masterminded or were involved in 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai”.
“Moreover, bringing such people to book is imperative to improve India-Pakistan relations”, he added.
About US-based Kashmiri activist Ghulam Nabi Fai, Dr Farooq said, “it is an established fact that he was promoting agenda of Pakistan-based ISI in America. He was ISI frontman in US”, adding “there are several people in Jammu and Kashmir, who were on payroll of Fai and that’s why they are seeking less severe punishment for him”.
“These people have no concern for those who shed their blood during the turmoil in Valley and Hindu migrants, who had to leave the Valley due to violence”, Dr Farooq regretted, adding “all such people are responsible for destruction in Jammu and Kashmir”.
Dr Farooq parried questions about reshuffle in J&K Council of Ministers by saying “this is an issue between Chief Minister and the Congress people. I have nothing to do with this”.

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 7:  Army and police today thwarted a major plot by the militants to carry out terror strike with timely recovery of a large quantity of explosive material, arms and ammunition from a natural hideout at Jaran Wali forest area under the jurisdiction of Kandi police station in Rajouri district. A joint column of 60 Rashtriya Rifles and a team of Kandi police station conducted searches In Jaran Wali forest area and made the recoveries. Hideout of the militants was busted, official sources said. Recoveries made from the hideout included one Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL), 12 UBGL grenades, one Chinese pistol with 90 rounds, 241 AK rounds, half kg RDX, 44 Pika rounds, 14 Chinese grenades, 1000 Global Positioning System (GPS), one I Com set, three AK magazines, one Motorola set, 12 detonators, three maps and 10 meters IED wire. The explosives and other recoveries had the potential of causing large scale casualties and damage to property, sources said, adding the busting of the hideout has thwarted militant designs.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 7: Welcoming the proposed meeting between Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President, Asif Ali Zardari, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah today stressed that Jammu and Kashmir centric Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) should be discussed apart from other ongoing issues.
In an informal chat with the media-persons on the sidelines of World Health Day function at Zorawar Singh Auditorium in Jammu University this morning, Mr Omar said, “sustained dialogue between India and Pakistan in an amicable atmosphere to address all bigger and smaller issues should be a continuous process”.
“The issues between India and Pakistan cannot be resolved in one meeting as such there should be continuous dialogue between the two countries to address the problems and find out solution to all the issues”, he further said.
About the expectations from the meeting between Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President, Asif Ali Zardari, the Chief Minister said, “we would like that all the Jammu and Kashmir centric Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) like cross-Line of Control bus service and trade be discussed in the meeting apart from other bigger issues”.
“There is a need to strengthen the cross-LoC trade on both routes of Poonch-Rawalakote and Uri-Muzaffarabad”, said Mr Omar, who recently called for restoration of telephonic link between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) to facilitate cross-LoC trade and replacement of barter system of trade by financial transactions.
It is pertinent to mention here that on the appeal of the Chief Minister, Legislative Assembly unanimously urged Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President, Asif Ali Zardari to take up the issue of cross-LoC trade and travel during their meeting being held tomorrow.
“The Rehabilitation Policy for the return of youth from PoK and cross-border infiltration should also come up for discussion during the meeting so that benefits trickle to the State”, the Chief Minister stressed, adding “unless Pakistan accords permission to those misguided youth, who want to leave the gun and come back to join mainstream in Jammu and Kashmir, the Rehabilitation Policy framed by the State Government in consultation with Union Home Ministry, would not yield encouraging result”.
Responding to another question, Mr Omar said, “the visit of Union Home Minister, P Chidambaram to the State is a routine one”, adding “the issues relating to the security scenario would be discussed with the Home Minister”.
“The issues relating to revocation of Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) and reduction of troops would also come up for discussion”, he said.
About the report of interlocutors, Mr Omar said, “we desire that interlocutors’ report should be made public and talks held on it before implementation of the recommendations”, adding “we will also make request to the Union Home Minister in this regard”.
Earlier, while addressing the gathering on ‘World Health Day’ function, the Chief Minister underscored the need for active involvement of civil society in stopping the evil of female foeticide in the State and contributing in the successful implementation of ‘Save Girl Child Programme’.
“Jammu and Kashmir has earned bad name for the higher graph reported about the female foeticide which should be great concern to every member of the society”, he said, adding “to discriminate girl child against boys and considering male children important than girls is a sick mindset which requires early addressing”.
He further said, “this disease developing in the minds of people and making them to indulge in female foeticide is the worst kind of sin for which there is no forgiveness from the Almighty”, adding “while Government has geared up its machinery in health and other concerned departments to focus on the issue and create public awareness about the far reaching consequences and dangerous effects of female foeticide, the civil society has an important role to play in this direction”.
Reiterating his Government’s endeavour for universalization of quality health service across the State, the Chief Minister said that healthy Jammu and Kashmir is his mission. “The benefits of development can only be relished when the people are healthy. Creation of schools and colleges, construction of roads and bridges, providing employment and bringing socio-economic betterment can be of positive utilization only when the people are healthy”, he said while flagging health sector the most important one in the process of development.
“The revival of ASHA scheme is proving highly beneficial in facilitating health facilities to pregnant women and children in rural areas”, he said, adding Government would further strengthen the scheme to enhance its reach and impact on the society and create awareness about ‘girl child safety’.
On the slogan ‘good health adds life to years’ flagged for this year’s ‘World Health Day’, the Chief Minister described it more relevant in the present day life style, adding “the changes in our life pattern due to modernization, mechanization and industrialization have put question mark to the health of a person. In order to add life to the years, necessary correction is required in our life style, food habits and other day to day activities”.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Health, Sham Lal Sharma said that due to the efforts of Health Department and because of the overall guidance of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, the State has registered tremendous improvement in service delivery to the people in health sector.
In her welcome address, Commissioner Secretary Health and Medical Education, Tanveer Jahan highlighted the significance of observance of ‘World Health Day’ on 7th April every year with a theme, adding that this helps the functionaries of the department to focus on the subject and make necessary dent.
Director Health Service, Jammu, Dr Madhu Khullar, Director NRHM, Dr Yash Paul Sharma, Director Indian System of Medicine, Dr Kabir Dar, Director Family Welfare and other senior officers of the Health Department besides a large number of doctors, para-medical staff, ASHA workers and citizens were present on the occasion.