Pak steps up US lobbying for image makeover year after Op Sindoor losses

According to filings under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), Pakistan signed a new multi-million-dollar lobbying agreement on May 1 aimed at boosting its influence within American policymaking circles.

The filings show that Pakistan has entered into a formal contract with Ervin Graves Strategy Group LLC, a US-based government relations and advocacy firm. Under the agreement, which came into effect on May 1, 2026, Pakistan will pay the firm a monthly retainer of $50,000 for 24 months, taking the total value of the contract to around $1.2 million.

The deal also includes an upfront payment of $150,000 covering the first three months of services. The firm has been tasked with providing government relations support, policy advice, and legislative monitoring to help advance Pakistan’s diplomatic, economic, and strategic interests in the United States.

As part of the arrangement, Ervin Graves Strategy Group will engage with members of the US Congress and their staff, particularly those associated with committees dealing with foreign affairs, defence, trade, and appropriations.

One of the key objectives outlined in the agreement is to project Pakistan as a reliable partner in counterterrorism and regional stability. The move comes even as India has repeatedly raised concerns at international forums over Pakistan’s alleged support for terror groups and cross-border terrorism.

Most recently, at a meeting of the UN Security Council on May 27, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Harish Parvathaneni, accused Pakistan of continuing to harbour and support terrorism and violent extremism directed against India.

“Pakistan will have to accept that there are consequences of its sponsorship of cross-border terrorism. Pakistan’s harnessing of the malevolent forces of terrorism, religious extremism, violent radicalism, and anti-India rhetoric has continued unabated since its creation,” he said.

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