Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai, a naturalised US citizen accused of illegally lobbying the US government for Pakistan and its spy agency over the disputed territory of Kashmir, can be released from jail while awaiting trial, a judge ruled on Tuesday. Magistrate Judge John Anderson rejected the argument of a US prosecutor who said Fai, 62, represented a flight risk and should be kept in jail. Fai, a native of Kashmir, was arrested last week.
Fai and Zaheer Ahmad, 63, were charged with taking part in a conspiracy to act as Pakistani agents in the US without registering as foreign agents. Ahmad, also a naturalised US citizen, is believed to be in Pakistan. At a federal court hearing in Alexandria, Virginia, the judge ruled that Fai must post $100,000 in bond and he required detention at Fai’s home in Virginia, along with electronic monitoring. Fai’s travel is restricted to Washington DC area, and he must have no contact with Ahmad, any potential witnesses or with any foreign government representatives, Anderson ruled from the bench at the end of the 30-minute hearing.
