WASHINGTON: A grandfatherly Pakistan-American physician who has been a familiar face in Washington think-tanks at events relating to the sub-continent faces five years jail time at age 71 for surreptitiously lobbying for
Pakistan without registering himself as a foreign agent.
In an unusual prosecution that underlines the frayed ties between Washington and Islamabad, the Justice Department on Tuesday announced that
Nisar Ahmed Chaudhry, a retired Maryland dentist, had pleaded guilty to failure to file disclosure as a foreign agent.
“Chaudhry failed to file a registration statement with the Attorney General, as required by law, providing notification of his activities on behalf of the Government of Pakistan, and falsely represented that his activities in relation to Pakistan were solely educational in nature and executed for the benign purpose of encouraging better relations between the United States and Pakistan,” the Justice Department said.
In the plea agreement, Chaudhry revealed that from 2012 through 2018, he acted as an agent of the Government of Pakistan in order to engage in political activities for, and in the interests of Pakistan. These activities were designed “to obtain and manage information on the status of the United States Government's policies regarding Pakistan, and to influence US government officials and US foreign policy towards Pakistan.”
Disclosing the modus operandi, the Justice Department said Chaudhry interacted with numerous institutes, foundations, and organizations operating in and around Washington, DC, commonly referred to as "think tanks," organizing roundtable between his American government and think tank contacts and visiting Pakistan government officials to influence United States foreign policy in a direction favorable to Pakistan’s interests.
“Chaudhry cultivated contacts within these entities and the US government in order to obtain in-depth information regarding US policies towards Pakistan. Chaudhry then sought to neutralize unfavorable views of Pakistan held by current and former US government officials by employing certain methods of discussion with these individuals during personal interactions with them and/or by controlling and manipulating discussion at the roundtable events he organized or attended,” the Justice Department said.
Chaudhry disclosed in his plea agreement that he regularly traveled to Pakistan to brief high-level Pakistan government officials on information obtained from his American government and think tank contacts. In consideration for his activities on behalf of the Government of Pakistan, Chaudhry was granted invitations to events at the Pakistan Embassy; introductions to, and meetings with, high-level Pakistan government officials; assistance with procuring civilian, military, or government -related jobs and preferential postings for relatives and associates in Pakistan; assistance with securing Pakistani visas on an expedited basis for friends, relatives, or associates; reimbursement for certain travel expenses; and the use of diplomatic channels to ship personal items to and from Pakistan, among other things, the Justice Department statement revealed.
Chaudhry is the second Pakistan-related underhand lobbyist facing prison time in recent years after US authorities put away Kashmiri “activist” Ghulam Nabi Fai in 2012 for being a frontman for Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI, saying Islamabad illegally funneled money to him for lobbying activity. After serving jail time, Fai has returned to Kashmiri activism, albeit at a low key.
Chaudhry made no secret of his pro-Pakistan activism, boasting of friendship with prominent regional experts in the State Department and the thinktank community on his linked-in profile, where he described himself as the founder and President of Pakistan American League.
“He has been giving lectures at Foreign Services Institute, where Foreign Services Officers are trained and the institute is run by US Department of State. He also briefs Pakistani Officials in Islamabad and US Officials in Washington DC.," the profile says.
The incident comes at a testy time in US-Pakistan relations with a rudderless Islamabad insisting on prosecuting US embassy personnel involved in road accidents in Islamabad. The two sides are also locked in a row over limiting travel and access enjoyed by diplomats.
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