US court pronounced Fai guilty because of India: Syed Geelani

Ghulam Nabi Fai may have pleaded guilty before a US court on federal charges of spying for the ISI but pro-Pakistan Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani sees an Indian hand in this development.

The 62-year-old Fai, a US-based Kashmiri separatist leader, has pleaded guilty before a Eastern District Court of Virginia to the charges of prosecutors that he received at least $3.5 million from Pakistan's intelligence agency between 1990 and 2011 which resulted in a revenue loss of between $200,000 to 400,000 to the US government.

Geelani claimed in a press release that the US court had pronounced him guilty because of diplomatic pressure from New Delhi unaware of the fact that Fai himself had pleaded guility and that his sentencing was scheduled for March 9.

In his guilty plea, Fai had told the US court that he was in direct contact with the ISI officials including the head of its security directorate.

Fai conceded receiving talking points from ISI regarding what to say and write. He agreed that he received directions from ISI with regard to which specific individuals to invite for the conference of Washington-based Kashmiri American Council.