'Kashmiri separatist Fai lied about his doctorate degree'

Kashmiri separatist Ghulam Nabi Fai, who was arrested last year on charges of being a paid agent of the Inter Services Intelligence, has lied to the court about possessing a doctorate degree, a United States attorney has said.

"Fai has no doctorate degree," United States Attorney Neil MacBride informed the court on Wednesday in a foot-note, of the 10-page submission to the US district court in Alexandria, Virginia.

Fai's false representation that he possesses such a degree unfairly dilutes the respect rightly earned by others that actually possess such a degree, MacBride said, adding that in the letter to the court, Fai addresses himself as Dr Fai.

"While Fai's misleading characterisation of his educational attainments before this court are relatively benign compared to the deceit inherent in his criminal conduct, it is nonetheless consistent with his attempts to mislead the government of the United States and the American people for decades" MacBride said in his submission to the court.

MacBride also informed the court that Fai, 62, who pleaded guilty and has co-operated with the investigating agency thereafter, continues to mislead the court and the people of the country.

The US Attorney also noted that Fai does have a criminal history as he was involved in an offence of which Fai was publicly accused but never charged: the 1986 murder of Ismail al-Faruqi.

"Al-Faruqi was the founder of the International Institute of Islamic Thought in Herndon, Virginia. In 1986, Joseph Young, also known as Yusuf Ali, confessed to murdering al-Faruqi and his wife, and claimed that he was inspired to do so by Fai. He was never charged with involvement in the crime and there was ample reason to question Young/Ali's veracity," MacBride said.

The US attorney also alleged, "Fai's answers to many of the questions posed to him since he entered his guilty plea were less than forthright."