Pakistani faces 23-year jail term in US in drugs case

LONDON: A judge at New York Southern District court has ruled that the US government didn’t breach its plea bargain agreement with Pakistani national former gold trader Muhammad Asif Hafeez in the high-profile drugs case in which Hafeez and four others are implicated including Bollywood star Mamta Kulkarni’s husband Vicky Goswami.

Muhammad Asif Hafeez had filed a petition at the United States New York Southern District court arguing that the US government was breaching the plea agreement terms with him; that he should be given only about 10 years jail term and that the government ’s proposed at least 276 months’ imprisonment – around 23 years - would be a breach and therefore the court should rule against the government .

But Judge Victor Marrero of the United States New York Southern District court has ruled that “the court finds that the government did not breach the Plea Agreement, and, accordingly, orders the Defendant to adhere to the Plea Agreement’s stipulated offence level and sentencing range under the United States Sentencing Guidelines” and that advocating for a sentence of at least 276 months’ imprisonment for Asif Hafeez would be proportionate to the offence level and category.

On November 18, 2024, Asif Hafeez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and unlawfully import heroin into the United States and one count of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and unlawfully import methamphetamine and marijuana into the United States. His lawyers said he had no choice under the harsh US conditions but to plead guilty.