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Even as Pakistan's military leadership claims India begged the United States to mediate a ceasefire during recent border tensions, public US lobbying disclosures tell a radically different story of Islamabad scrambling to buy influence in Washington.
According to data filed under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), Pakistan is currently burning through approximately $900,000 every month, totalling between $10 million and $12 million a year, to navigate its worsening diplomatic and defence crises. Foreign affairs expert Robinder Sachdev revealed the scale of Islamabad's influence-buying campaign in a conversation with ANI, noting that massive retainer contracts are actively being used to secure high-level access for Pakistani officials. "Recent reports indicating a $1.2 million contract are not unusual for Washington. All foreign governments retain lobbyists at various times," Sachdev stated. "According to public FARA data, Pakistan is currently spending approximately $900,000 every month on lobbying... This includes a $50,000-a-month contract for the Interior Minister's meetings and another firm charging $250,000 a month to navigate trade issues." Sachdev added that a firm hired in October for $25,000 a month has recently been upgraded to a massive $1.2 million contract, signalling a desperate surge in Pakistan's diplomatic PR offensive. The paper trail of these multi-million-dollar contracts directly contradicts assertions made by Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces, Asim Munir. Speaking at a ceremony at the Army's General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, the self-promoted Field Marshal claimed that New Delhi had blinked first during the recent military escalation. "India expressed the desire for mediation through the American leadership, which Pakistan accepted in the interest of wider regional peace," Munir was quoted as saying by Dawn News. However, FARA filings reviewed by ANI tell a story of Pakistani panic rather than Indian capitulation. The timeline of Pakistan's intense diplomatic matchmaking perfectly aligns with India's aggressive military posture. Between May 6 and May 9, 2025, Pakistani agents logged nearly 60 urgent interactions across Capitol Hill, the Pentagon, and the US Treasury. This frantic lobbying coincided exactly with the launch of Operation Sindoor, New Delhi's decisive tri-services response to the Pahalgam terror attack. While Islamabad's lobbyists were knocking on doors in Washington, the Indian Armed Forces were busy dismantling cross-border terror networks. An Indian Ministry of Defence statement confirmed that on the intervening night of May 6 and May 7, 2025, Indian forces executed highly coordinated precision strikes on nine key terror-linked sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The FARA disclosures suggest that while Pakistan's military command was publicly projecting an aura of control, its high-priced Washington diplomats were working overtime behind the scenes to find an exit ramp from India's military retaliation. (ANI)
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