Washington: Pakistan's powerful spy agency ISI funnelled millions of dollars for more than two decades to influence US policy on Kashmir through separatist leader Ghulam Nabi Fai, according to FBI.
A 43-page affidavit filed by the FBI in a US Court in July after it arrested Fai had said that the Kashmiri separatist was illegally lobbying for Pakistan.
Fai, 62, is the director of the Kashmiri American Council, a Washington-based group that lobbies for "self-determination" for Kashmir.
Its activities, the affidavit said, is funded by ISI. The money includes USD 100,000 given to political campaigns every year.
Foreign governments are prohibited from making donations to American political candidates.
"The investigation has led me to conclude that Fai has acted at the direction and with financial support of the Government of Pakistan for more than 20 years ... although Fai has some latitude to decide his day-to-day activities, the Government of Pakistan long has directed and funded his lobbying and public relations in the US," Sarah Webb Linden, Special Agent, FBI had said.
The affidavit, filed before the US court on July 18 was made public after Fai was arrested.
"Mr Fai is accused of a decades-long scheme with one purpose to hide Pakistan's involvement behind his efforts to influence the US government's position on Kashmir," Neil MacBride, the US Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, had said.
"His handlers in Pakistan allegedly funnelled millions through the Kashmir Center to contribute to US elected officials, fund high-profile conferences and pay for other efforts that promoted the Kashmiri cause to decision-makers in Washington."
Pakistan, however, had denied knowledge of the case.
"Mr Fai is not a Pakistani citizen and the government and embassy of Pakistan have no knowledge of the case involving him," said a spokesman of the Pakistani Embassy in Washington.
The chargesheet also named another US citizen, Zaheer Ahmad, who lives in Pakistan and was allegedly the main person through, which the ISI funnelled money to Fai to lobby at the Capitol Hill.
"I also know that Fai's handlers regularly communicate with Ahmad. For example, Ahmad's email account revealed contact information for Khan. Similar information was revealed from an examination of Ahmad's PDA upon his arrival to the US at Kennedy Airport in New York on July 8, 2009," Linden had said.
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