In a major embarrassment to the ISI, US-based Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai, today pleaded guilty to federal charges of spying for the Pakistani spy agency and illegally lobbying the Congress to influence the American policy on Kashmir.
Fai, 62, also acknowledged secretly receiving money from the ISI through clandestine routes and causing revenue losses to the US government to the tune of USD 200,000 to 400,000.
Pleading before the US Eastern District Court of Virginia, Fai pleaded guilty and agreed to the charges of federal prosecutors that he received at least USD 3.5 million from ISI between 1990 to 2011.
His sentencing is scheduled for March 9.
Fai agreed before the court that he was in direct contact with the ISI officials including the head of its security directorate.
The guilty plea was announced by Neil MacBride, US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
He 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 KAC conferences.
Fai has consented to forfeit all four bank accounts in his name or in the name of KAC totalling about USD 140,000.
He also agreed before the court that he had send to the ISI annual budget of the KAC for approval.
"For the last 20 years, Mr. Fai secretly took millions of dollars from Pakistani intelligence and lied about it to the US government," said US Attorney MacBride.
"As a paid operative of ISI, he did the bidding of his handlers in Pakistan while he met with US elected officials, funded high-profile conferences, and promoted the Kashmiri cause to decision-makers in Washington."
"Syed Fai today admitted his role in a decades-long scheme to conceal the fact that the government of Pakistan was secretly funding his efforts to influence US policy on Kashmir," said Assistant Attorney General Monaco.