Pakistan, despite being financially bankrupt and diplomatically isolated, has poured nearly $5 million into Washington lobbying firms to mask its terror record and human rights abuses.

FARA disclosures show over 60 urgent interactions during India’s Operation Sindoor, exposing Islamabad’s desperation even as its military elite claimed India sought US mediation. Former diplomat Mahesh Sachdev argues India’s diaspora and shared values with America give New Delhi far stronger leverage.

Reeling from military humiliation and facing global isolation, Pakistan has prioritised propaganda over its collapsing economy. Public disclosures under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) reveal that Islamabad mounted a frantic influence-buying campaign in Washington during India’s devastating counter-terror strikes, code-named Operation Sindoor.

The filings confirm that Pakistan spent nearly ₹45 crore (about $5 million) in 2025 to hire six lobbying and law firms, including Sidley Law LLP, Seiden Law LLP, Javelin Advisors, and Squire Patton Boggs. 

These firms facilitated access to US lawmakers, Pentagon officials, Treasury staff, and major media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal and New York Times.

Between 6 and 9 May 2025, Pakistani diplomats and agents logged nearly 60 urgent interactions across Capitol Hill, the Pentagon, and the US Treasury. The outreach included emails, phone calls, and in-person meetings, all aimed at pressing Washington to intervene and “somehow stop” India’s military campaign.

The lobbying drive coincided with India’s precision strikes on terror-linked sites and select Pakistani Air Force bases following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. Satellite imagery later confirmed visible destruction at militant facilities and airbases, contradicting Pakistan’s attempts to downplay the damage.

Former senior Indian diplomat Mahesh Sachdev told ANI that Pakistan has much to camouflage regarding its controversial track record in proliferation, terrorism, human rights violations, and suppression of minorities.

He noted that despite surviving on international doles from Gulf donors, the IMF, and the World Bank, Pakistan chose to spend heavily on propaganda to open doors for its diplomats in the United States.

He stressed that India, by contrast, can leverage its powerful five-million-strong diaspora in America to deepen mutual understanding and strengthen bilateral ties. India’s relationship with the US rests on solid foundations: substantive trade, shared democratic values, and cooperation through forums like the Quad.

Sachdev dismissed Pakistan’s claims of vast critical mineral reserves as unproven, pointing out that if they were viable, the US would already have moved to exploit them. Instead, India and the US are collaborating on critical minerals to reduce dependence on China.

He added that Washington’s bandwidth for new military or economic aid to Pakistan is limited, given its focus on Iran, Ukraine, and South China Sea tensions.

While Pakistani lobbyists are engaging Congress and the Pentagon, significant new aid looks unlikely. Islamabad has tried to gain favour by offering to mediate with Iran, but no deal has been signed, and Pakistan holds no meaningful “IOU” from Washington.

At home, Pakistan’s military elite attempted to control internal damage. Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir claimed India had “blinked first” and begged the US to mediate a ceasefire. 

However, FARA filings reviewed by ANI tell a different story: one of Pakistani panic rather than Indian capitulation. India has consistently maintained that no third party was involved in the ceasefire process, which was agreed upon via a hotline message between military commanders.

Sachdev emphasised that there is no direct competition between India’s and Pakistan’s objectives in the US. India’s focus is on bilateral ties, a free and open Indo-Pacific, and democracy.

Pakistan’s relationship with Washington often rests on volatile regional roles or defence arrangements with Saudi Arabia, lacking the fact-based foundation India enjoys. India’s ties with America are built on tangible elements: large-scale economic interaction, a massive diaspora, and shared values.

ANI