Pakistan and Saudi Arabia hold two-day investment conference in Islamabad
Published on: May 7, 2024.
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**FBI’s Former Agent Kamran Faridi Expresses Concerns About Returning to Pakistan**
Karachi native Kamran Faridi, a former undercover FBI agent who recently served time in a Florida prison, has voiced his hesitations about returning to Pakistan, citing concerns for his safety. Faridi, aged 60, had escaped a life of crime in Pakistan almost 30 years ago and has since worked for the FBI for about 15 years, primarily acting as an informant and agent. In 2018, he played a key role in the arrest of Karachi businessman Jabir Motiwala, but he was later sentenced to 84 months in jail for refusing to testify against him.
Speaking from Florida, Faridi expressed his worries about returning to his home country, stating that it would jeopardize his well-being. Despite the potential dangers, he feels limited in his choices. Faridi’s prison sentence was significantly reduced due to a recent law that grants a sentence reduction for first-time offenders. His good behavior while incarcerated and his agreement with US authorities to surrender his American nationality and return to Pakistan also contributed to the reduction.
Faridi’s relationship with the FBI turned sour in 2020 when he refused to testify against Motiwala, who was allegedly associated with the Indian organized crime syndicate D-Company. Faridi suspected that Motiwala had been framed with false charges and decided not to support the FBI’s case against him. This action led to his arrest in London in 2020, after which he was extradited back to the US and imprisoned on charges of being a threat to his former FBI colleagues.
Faridi had a tumultuous past in Karachi, where he was involved with criminal activities as a member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and later the Peoples Student Federation (PSF). Fleeing to Sweden, he eventually found refuge in the US and ran a gas station in Atlanta. It was during this time that he encountered corrupt police officers and reached out to the Atlanta Police Department for assistance. Subsequently, he became an informant for the Atlanta police, which led him to be recruited by the FBI due to his language skills and knowledge of Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, and Spanish.
Despite the price he paid for his involvement with the FBI, Faridi plans to return to Karachi with his wife, emphasizing that he is no longer a criminal or gangster but a regular citizen.
**Source:** [Arab News](https://www.arabnews.pk)
