ISI agent Fai expected to plead guilty today

Washington: Alleged ISI agent Ghulam Nabi Fai, charged with illegally lobbying for Pakistan and its spy agency to influence US policy on Kashmir, is likely enter into a plea agreement before a US court on Wednesday.

The US Eastern District Court of Virginia on Tuesday scheduled a "plea agreement hearing" in the court of Judge Liam O'Grady.

Fai, who was arrested on spying charges on July 19 and then was put under house arrest later that month, is scheduled to appear before the court at 11 am local time, according to the court documents posted on Tuesday afternoon.

Fai, 62, who headed the Washington-based Kashmiri American Council (KAC) was arrested by FBI for allegedly collaborating with Pakistan's spy agency by "clandestinely" funneling hundreds and thousands of dollars to change the view of American lawmakers on Kashmir.

Federal prosecutors in their submission before the court have charged him with working for the ISI and accepting millions of dollars from this spy agency of Pakistan.

"His handlers in Pakistan allegedly funneled 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," US attorney Neil MacBride said in July.

"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," MacBride alleged.

The affidavit alleges that, although the KAC held itself out to be a Kashmiri organisation run by Kashmiris and financed by Americans, the KAC is one of three "Kashmir Centers" that are actually run by elements of the Pakistani government, including Pakistan's military intelligence service, the ISI.

The two other Kashmir Centers are in London, England and Brussels, Belgium.

According to the affidavit, a confidential witness told investigators that he participated in a scheme to obscure the origin of money transferred by Pakistan's ISI to Fai to use as a lobbyist for the KAC in furtherance of Pakistani government interests.