The hearing of alleged ISI agent Ghulam Nabi Fai will begin today, even as the  Pakistani government lodged a protest with the US over the arrest of the Kashmiri separatist. Pakistan accused Washington of running a "slander campaign" against Islamabad. 

"A demarche was made to the US Embassy in  Islamabad today to register our concerns, in particular the slander campaign against Pakistan. Our Embassy in Washington has also been asked to ascertain details," said a statement issued by the Foreign Office.

The Foreign Office statement lauded the role of Fai, who was arrested in Virginia earlier this week for allegedly funnelling at least four million dollars from Pakistan's spy agency into American political activities with the aim of influencing American policy on the Kashmir issue.