In a sweeping operation that has sent ripples across the Kashmir Valley, police in Jammu and Kashmir have detained more than 50 individuals as part of a multi-district crackdown on what authorities describe as anti-state activities. The focus of this major enforcement action, which unfolded on November 10, 2025, was the alleged network of Ghulam Nabi Fai, a US-based Kashmiri separatist long accused of orchestrating propaganda and influencing international opinion on the region at the behest of Pakistan’s intelligence services.
The police operation, which spanned districts including Budgam, Baramulla, and Ganderbal, saw coordinated raids on homes and business premises. According to a police spokesperson cited by Hindustan Times, “multiple searches were conducted by Budgam police to target his network.” The authorities say these efforts were not limited to roundups; they also included the seizure of materials deemed incriminating and the investigation of properties allegedly linked to the separatist infrastructure.
Ghulam Nabi Fai, a native of Wadwan Budgam who now resides in the United States, heads the Washington-based Kashmiri American Council (KAC). According to police statements reported by Devdiscourse and Hindustan Times, the KAC is believed to be backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and is known for promoting Pakistan’s narrative on the Kashmir issue. The network’s reach, officials allege, extends from the US to the heart of Kashmir, where its influence is said to fuel unrest and anti-state sentiment.
The crackdown comes on the heels of Fai being declared a proclaimed offender by the special judge of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Budgam on April 30, 2025. The police spokesperson explained, “Dr Fai is involved in FIR No. 46/2020 under Sections 10, 13 and 39 of the ULA(P) Act and Section 66 of the IT Act at Budgam Police Station.” As part of the ongoing investigation, authorities have initiated proceedings to attach his properties in the region.
But who is Ghulam Nabi Fai, and why has his name become synonymous with controversy on both sides of the globe? Fai’s activities have long attracted scrutiny from law enforcement agencies, not just in India but also in the United States. In 2012-13, Fai was charged and sentenced in the US for “conspiring to act as Pakistani agents in the United States without registering as foreign agents.” According to an FBI affidavit filed in 2011, Fai and the KAC received “several million dollars from Pakistan and its military spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence Agency, since the mid-1990s in an effort to influence the US government’s position on Kashmir.” Fai ultimately pleaded guilty to the lobbying charges, a development that added an international dimension to his already contentious profile.
Recent events have only heightened official concerns. In a recent interview with a Turkey-based television channel, Fai reportedly made statements supporting the banned organisation JKLF (Y), which was declared unlawful by the Indian government on March 22, 2019. This public endorsement, police say, further solidified their resolve to dismantle what they describe as a sophisticated and well-funded separatist network.
As police teams fanned out across Budgam and neighboring districts, their search extended beyond Fai’s direct associates. The crackdown also targeted overground workers—individuals suspected of supporting militant or separatist activities—as well as suspects booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Public Safety Act (PSA). SIM card vendors came under particular scrutiny, with authorities suspecting that some were facilitating unlawful communications and thereby enabling covert coordination and propaganda efforts.
“Budgam police reiterates its commitment to dismantling the terror support infrastructure and ensuring lasting peace, security and stability in the district,” read a statement from the police, as reported by Hindustan Times. This sentiment was echoed by other officials, who underscored that the operation was part of a broader strategy to neutralize networks operating from Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), as well as to clamp down on local facilitators.
Investigations into properties allegedly linked to the Fai network are ongoing. Police sources confirmed that attachment proceedings are underway, a move aimed at choking off the financial lifelines that, according to authorities, sustain separatist agitation in the region.
The broader context of the crackdown cannot be ignored. Kashmir has long been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan, with both countries laying claim to the region and separatist sentiments simmering for decades. The Indian government has, in recent years, ramped up its efforts to curb what it sees as externally sponsored unrest, particularly after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, which revoked the region’s special status. Operations like the one targeting Fai’s network are emblematic of this tougher stance.
But the story does not end with law enforcement action. The crackdown has also reignited debates about free speech, civil liberties, and the limits of state power in conflict zones. Critics argue that sweeping detentions and property seizures risk alienating local populations and could undermine efforts to build trust and foster reconciliation. Supporters of the operation, meanwhile, contend that dismantling separatist networks is essential for restoring order and preventing violence.
For many residents of Budgam and the wider Kashmir Valley, the sight of police convoys and search parties has become all too familiar. Some express relief that authorities are taking action against what they perceive as foreign-backed subversion. Others worry that innocent people could be caught up in the dragnet, their lives upended by association or mere suspicion.
What is clear, however, is that the crackdown marks a significant escalation in the ongoing contest for control and narrative in Kashmir. The involvement of international actors—be it Fai in the US, the ISI in Pakistan, or media outlets abroad—underscores the global stakes of what might otherwise seem a local dispute. As property investigations proceed and those detained face questioning, the region waits to see whether this latest operation will bring lasting calm or merely add another chapter to its turbulent history.
In the tense and unpredictable landscape of Kashmir, the police’s latest moves against Ghulam Nabi Fai’s alleged network serve as a stark reminder of the complex and high-stakes struggle for influence, identity, and peace.