J&K court declares US-based Kashmiri lobbyist Ghulam Nabi Fai a proclaimed offender

Srinagar: Amid a broader crackdown on separatist networks and Pakistan-backed lobbyists, a court in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district has declared Ghulam Nabi Fai, an American citizen of Kashmiri origin, as a proclaimed offender in an Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) case.

The move underscores India’s growing efforts to hold overseas actors accountable for allegedly fueling unrest in Kashmir, though legal experts caution that extraditing Fai may prove diplomatically and legally difficult.

Fai, 76, who hails from Wadwan in Budgam, currently heads the Washington-based Kashmiri American Council (KAC), which Indian authorities believe is backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). He is accused in FIR No. 46 of 2020, registered at Police Station Budgam under Sections 10, 13, and 39 of the UAPA, which relate to unlawful association and support for terrorist organizations.

The court of the Special Judge, NIA, Budgam, acted on a police plea stating that despite the issuance of warrants, Fai persistently evaded arrest, obstructing the legal process and avoiding accountability. On April 30, 2025, the court formally declared him a proclaimed offender and directed him to surrender before the Jammu and Kashmir Police within 30 days.

Fai’s case is not the only one drawing attention. Just weeks earlier, the same court issued a notice to Syed Salahuddin—chief of the Pakistan-based militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen—ordering him to appear in connection with a 2002 murder and Arms Act case. Salahuddin, originally from Soibugh village in Budgam and designated a global terrorist by the US in 2017, is accused of orchestrating militant activities from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) since the 1990s.

Fai, a US citizen, was convicted in 2011 by an American court for concealing the source of funds to lobby for the Kashmiri separatist cause. He served a two-year prison sentence in the US for conspiracy and tax violations. Given that his current charges in India stem from alleged political offences under UAPA, legal experts say any extradition request may face resistance in US courts.

In the case of Salahuddin, extradition appears even more unlikely. He operates openly from Pakistan and continues to lead Hizbul Mujahideen with apparent protection from the Pakistani state, despite India designating the group as a terrorist organization. New Delhi has repeatedly sought international pressure on Pakistan to act against terrorists operating from the neighboring country, with limited success.

However, officials say the proclamation notices strengthen India’s legal standing in global counter-terrorism forums and serve to isolate such individuals diplomatically.