Latest news with #ObaidullahSyed
News18
12-05-2025
- Business
- News18
Pakistan Firm With Nuke Links Accessed US Tech, Sought Pahalgam Images Before Attack: Report
A Pakistani geospatial company named Business System International Pvt Ltd (BSI), owned by Obaidullah Syed, illegally bought satellite imagery from a US-based company in Colorado and then resold it to the Pakistani government, including agencies linked to nuclear weapons development, news outlet The Print said in a report. The US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) uncovered this activity in 2020 and found that Syed and his company had deep links with Pakistan's Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and the National Development Complex (NDC). The PAEC and NDC are two powerful arms of Pakistan's defence and nuclear programme and are responsible for building nuclear weapons and missile systems.
The Print
10-05-2025
- Business
- The Print
How Maxar partner fooled US manufactures into aiding Pakistan's nuclear programme
In addition to the PAEC, Syed's firm supplied equipment to the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), a public research university in Islamabad that trains engineers and scientists for the PAEC. Syed's illegal activities, spanning from 2006 to 2015, involved conspiring with BSI employees in Pakistan to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by exporting computer equipment to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) without the required authorisation from the US Department of Commerce. The PAEC is responsible for designing and testing high explosives and nuclear weapon components, as well as developing solid-fuelled ballistic missiles. New Delhi: Obaidullah Syed, a Pakistani-American businessman and owner of Business System International Pvt Ltd (BSI Pakistan), was convicted in 2021 for illegally exporting high-performance computing equipment from the United States to Pakistan's nuclear research agency. Despite this conviction, BSI Pakistan was listed as a partner by Maxar Technologies, a US-based space-tech firm providing high-resolution satellite imagery to government agencies and private firms worldwide, in 2023. 'The US export laws and regulations included the PAEC in a list of entities ('Entity List') who may pose unusual or extraordinary threats to the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States,' read the indictment report, which ThePrint accessed. It noted that PAEC is a 'prohibited end-user'. Syed and his co-conspirators falsely represented to US-based computer manufacturers that the shipments were intended for Pakistani universities or Syed's businesses, thereby circumventing US export regulations. Syed's co-conspirators included the BSI's director of marketing and sales, a coordinator, two senior support engineers, and a software engineer. Also read: Orders for Pahalgam satellite images from US firm peaked two months before attack Syed's criminal past was no obstacle for BSI In 2022, Syed was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison and forfeited $247,000 of criminally derived funds to the US government. Notably, in 2023, the same year Syed's sentence concluded, BSI Pakistan was enlisted as a partner by Maxar Technologies. Subsequently, orders for high-resolution satellite images of Pahalgam in Kashmir began appearing on Maxar's portal. A significant spike in such orders was observed in February 2025, two months prior to a terrorist attack in Pahalgam that resulted in the killing of 26 civilians. Following ThePrint's report on Saturday, Maxar Technologies removed BSI Pakistan from its list of partners. In an email response to ThePrint, Maxar claimed that BSI had not placed any tasking orders for Pahalgam or surrounding areas in 2025 and had not ordered any imagery of those areas through their archive. But the history of the BSI owner's rap sheet still stands out. The US Export Administration Regulations (EAR) classify certain goods and services as requiring special permission for export, especially when they can be used for military purposes. Between 2006 and 2015, Syed and his firm violated these regulations by falsely claiming that exported computer equipment was intended for state-based universities or his businesses, when in fact it was utilised by the PAEC. Maxar Technologies has not responded to ThePrint's queries regarding whether a background check was conducted before partnering with BSI Pakistan. (Edited by Prashant) Also read: Controversial Pakistani firm BSI removed as partner from US satellite company's website
The Print
10-05-2025
- Business
- The Print
Controversial Pakistani firm BSI removed as partner from US satellite company's website
Maxar provides high-resolution satellite imagery to government bodies across the world, including India's Ministry of Defence and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Crucially, US authorities had earlier indicted BSI owner Obaidullah Syed for illegally exporting computer equipment and software solutions to Pakistani government agencies. New Delhi: Pakistani geospatial firm Business Systems International Pvt Ltd (BSI) is no longer listed as a partner on the website of US satellite company Maxar Technologies. This change came hours after ThePrint published an exclusive report revealing that Maxar had been receiving orders for high-resolution satellite images of Pahalgam, ostensibly since June last year, when the Pakistani firm was onboarded as a partner. The orders peaked in February—two months before the 22 April terror attack. While there is no evidence directly linking BSI to the Pahalgam image orders, Maxar's 'Find a Partner' page no longer listed BSI shortly after ThePrint's story was published. BSI Pakistan had appeared as a partner on Maxar's portal until 9 May, as shown in screenshots taken by ThePrint during its investigation. However, on Saturday—a day after the story was published—Maxar responded to ThePrint's email sent on 6 May, claiming that the Pahalgam orders did not come from BSI. 'BSI has not placed any tasking orders with Maxar of Pahalgam or the surrounding areas this year, nor have they ordered any of the imagery we currently have of those areas through our imagery archive,' Tomi Maxted, Maxar's head of corporate and product communications, wrote. Significantly, hours after this email response, Maxar quietly removed BSI from its website. The Pakistani firm no longer appears as a listed partner. ThePrint also sent a detailed questionnaire to Maxar—asking, among other things, whether BSI had been officially delisted—but did not receive a response by the time of publication. Also read: Orders for Pahalgam satellite images from US firm peaked two months before attack Maxar and BSI Maxar Technologies has over 120 private partners worldwide, including at least 11 Indian companies such as Antrix Corporation Ltd, CYRAN AI Solutions, Lepton Software, and Satpalda Geospatial Services. These partners help develop products, sell services, and represent Maxar in their respective regions. BSI Pakistan was enlisted as a Maxar partner in 2023. ThePrint found that satellite image orders for Pahalgam began appearing on Maxar's portal just months after BSI was brought on board. After the story was published on 9 May, Maxar stated that BSI had not 'tasked' the Pahalgam orders. However, it did not clarify why the Pakistani firm had been onboarded in the first place despite its owner's criminal record. Nor did the company respond to questions about whether a background check was conducted. BSI owner Obaidullah Syed, a Pakistani-American businessman, was sentenced by a US federal court in 2022 to one year in prison for illegally exporting high-performance computer equipment to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC)—the agency responsible for designing and testing high explosives and nuclear weapon components, as well as developing solid-fuelled ballistic missiles. (Edited by Prashant)
Hindustan Times
09-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Pahalgam satellite images demand increased at US firm weeks before terror attack: Report
Two months before the deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, a US-based space tech company experienced an unusual surge in requests for high-resolution satellite images of Pahalgam and its surroundings, ThePrint reported. Maxar Technologies saw an unusual spike in orders for satellite imagery of Pahalgam between February 2 and 22, 2025, receiving at least 12 requests, double its usual volume. These orders had started appearing on the company's portal as early as June 2024, shortly after Maxar partnered with Business Systems International Pvt Ltd (BSI), a Pakistan-based geo-spatial company linked to federal crimes in the US, the report added. The report added that data does not reveal whether the orders for Pahalgam satellite images were placed by the Pakistani firm, Business Systems International Pvt Ltd (BSI). However, defence analysts, experts, and scientists consulted by ThePrint cautioned that the coincidence cannot be ignored, considering the controversial history of the company's founder, Obaidullah Syed. The Pakistani-American businessman was convicted and sentenced to a year in prison by a US federal court for illegally exporting high-performance computer equipment and software to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), the agency responsible for designing and testing high explosives, nuclear weapon components, and developing solid-fuelled ballistic missiles. Maxar's portal, accessed by ThePrint revealed that in addition to Pahalgam, satellite images captured other sensitive regions within India, such as Pulwama, Anantnag, Poonch, Rajouri, and Baramulla. The base price for each satellite image starts at ₹3 lakh, with the cost increasing depending on the image's resolution. 'Satellite surveillance has become the backbone of any country's intelligence. While it is unclear whether these images could have been used for planning the April 22 attacks in Pahalgam, India could ask Maxar to conduct an investigation into the ordered images,' the report has quoted an ISRO scientist as saying. Defence agencies frequently utilise high-resolution images to monitor troop movements, track weapon installations, assess infrastructure development, and detect activities like illegal border crossings, unauthorised incursions, and smuggling.
News18
09-05-2025
- Business
- News18
US Firm Saw Demand Surge For Pahalgam Satellite Images Weeks Before Terror Attack: Report
Between 2 and 22 February 2025, Maxar Technologies received at least 12 orders – twice the usual number, raising suspicions about the people or companies who made the request. Maxar's clients include government and defence agencies worldwide. The demand for Pahalgam satellite images began appearing on their portal in June 2024, shortly after Maxar partnered with a Pakistan-based geo-spatial company linked to federal crimes in the US, The Print reported. However, there is no proof yet to show the Pakistani firm, Business Systems International Pvt Ltd (BSI) placed the orders for these images. But, defence analysts, experts, and scientists consulted by ThePrint believe the coincidence is significant given the history of the company's founder, Obaidullah Syed. The Pakistani-American businessman was convicted and sentenced to a year in prison by a US federal court for illegally exporting high-performance computer equipment and software application solutions from the US to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) — the agency responsible for designing and testing high explosives and nuclear weapon parts and developing solid-fuelled ballistic missiles.
