Kashmiri activist’s property seized on court orders in India
Move against US-based activist Ghulam Nabi Fai highlights widening use of counter-terror laws to target Kashmir advocacy beyond India
SRINAGAR, Kashmir (MNTV) — A court operating under India’s counter-terrorism framework has ordered the seizure of property belonging to Kashmiri-American political advocate Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, a move that rights observers say reflects the expanding reach of India’s security laws against overseas voices linked to Kashmir’s self-determination movement.
The order was issued by a special court designated to hear cases brought by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), directing local authorities to attach more than 1.5 kanals — roughly 8,100 square feet — of land owned by Fai in two villages in Budgam district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
Indian authorities claim the action followed Fai’s failure to appear before investigators in a long-running case registered in 2020. The court formally declared him an “absconder” and authorized the attachment of both movable and immovable property, invoking provisions of India’s criminal procedure law that allows seizure of assets when an accused is deemed to be evading arrest.
According to the court order, the land includes plots in Wadwan and Chattabugh villages, which revenue officials have been instructed to take possession of immediately. The case against Fai has been filed under multiple sections of India’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act — a sweeping counter-terror law — as well as provisions of the Information Technology Act.
Indian media reports have framed the action as a routine legal measure. However, civil liberties advocates argue that the UAPA has increasingly been used in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir not only against armed groups but also against political activists, journalists, academics, and overseas advocates who challenge New Delhi’s control of the region.
Fai, who studied at Aligarh Muslim University before moving to the United States in 1977, has for decades been known internationally for his advocacy of a political resolution to the Kashmir dispute.
He founded the Washington-based Kashmir American Council, which has worked to bring Kashmiri perspectives to U.S. policymakers, think tanks, and international forums.
Over the years, Fai has maintained close links with pro-freedom leaders in Indian-administered Kashmir and has spoken frequently at global platforms on self-determination, human rights, and the region’s contested status. His engagement has spanned both Democratic and Republican administrations in the United States, according to people familiar with his work.
Analysts say the property seizure underscores a broader pattern in which India’s security apparatus is extending domestic counter-terror measures to silence political advocacy abroad, blurring the line between armed militancy and non-violent political expression.
The development comes amid continued international scrutiny of civil liberties, due process, and political dissent in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir since New Delhi revoked the region’s limited autonomy in 2019.
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