Srinagar, Dec 23 (AHN) A Special NIA court in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district on Tuesday ordered attachment of the property of a US-based Kashmiri lobbyist, Ghulam Nabi Shah alias Dr Fai.

Officials said that the Special NIA court ordered the attachment of over 1.5 kanals (1 kanal is equal to 5,445 sq ft) of land belonging to Dr Fai.

“Judge special NIA court passed the order after Assistant Public Prosecutor Mohammad Iqbal Rather moved an application seeking attachment of property of Fai under Section 83 of the Criminal Procedure Code (85 of BNSS) on the ground that this court had already declared the accused as an absconder in a case registered in 2020 under various sections of the UAPA,” officials said.

The judge said in his order, “This court directs Collector Budgam to attach the immovable property of land measuring one kanal and two marlas under Khewat No 60, survey No 466 in village Wadwan and land measuring 11 marlas under Khewat No 136, Survey No 343 situated at village Chattabugh (belonging to Fai) and take possession forthwith. Before attaching the property, District Collector Budgam shall ensure that the help of revenue authorities is taken to identify and demarcate the property,” the court said in a seven-page order.

It directed the Budgam Senior Superintendent of Police to provide necessary support, if required, to the Collector while attaching the property.

The J&K Police have been attaching properties of terrorists, their overground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers in order to dismantle the complete support system of terrorism.

Ghulam Nabi Shah, alias Dr Fai, is an American citizen of Kashmiri origin and an activist of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) organisation of Kashmir.

He founded the Kashmir American Council in the United States and carried out lobbying on behalf of Kashmiri separatist groups and the government of Pakistan.

In 2011, the US government stated that the Kashmir American Council was a front group for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.

He was arrested by the FBI on July 19, 2011, for acting as an unregistered foreign agent, concealing the transfer of USD 3.5 million from Pakistan's ISI to fund his lobbying efforts and influence the US government on the Kashmir conflict.