NEW DELHI: Pakistan has quietly poured nearly Rs 1.9 billion Pakistani rupees (PKR) into Washington’s influence industry over the past year, hiring lobbyists, lawyers, strategists and fixers to open doors in Congress, the administration and U.S. think tanks. Documents reviewed by
The Sunday Guardian reveal a fast-moving, multi-layered operation—starting with a government-linked think tank, running through Capitol Hill meetings for the Interior Minister, and expanding into million-dollar retainers with top-tier D.C. firms. It is the most concentrated lobbying surge Islamabad has mounted in recent memory.
In Pakistan’s own context, PKR 1.9 billion is the equivalent of funding nearly 50,000 education scholarships, paying over 2,000 teachers’ annual salaries, building 45 rural health units, or rehabilitating 5–6 flood defence projects—resources that were instead channelled into lobbying and influence contracts in Washington. Rehabilitation of flood protection bunds and drainage channels in Sindh after the 2022 floods averaged PKR 300-350 million per project. The same amount could fund wheat flour subsidies for more than 20 districts for three months, or run four to six district hospitals for a year, since each typically operates on PKR 300-400 million annually. A Punjab Education Endowment Fund scholarship for a college student costs around PKR 40,000 per year, meaning the amount could cover 47,500 full scholarships. With an average government schoolteacher’s salary of PKR 700,000-800,000, the figure could pay 2,300-2,700 teachers for a year. Building and equipping a Basic Health Unit (BHU) costs PKR 35-40 million, so the amount could build 45-50 BHUs in underserved districts.
The amount also stands out when set against the foreign assistance Pakistan receives each year. PKR 1.9 billion (about USD 6.7 million) is roughly equivalent to a medium-sized World Bank education project, a district-level WFP food security programme, or half of UNICEF’s annual education budget for Pakistan. It equals around 0.7% of a single IMF tranche—meaningful in a country that depends on external agencies to fund basic services and development programmes.
The lobbying push began in October 2024 with a USD 1.5 million (Rs 415 million PKR) contract between Team Eagle Consulting and the Islamabad Policy Research Institute, a think tank attached to Pakistan’s National Security Division. The deal authorised Team Eagle to court members of Congress and the executive branch to “improve U.S.–Pakistan relations”. A few months later, in January 2025, Gunster Strategies Worldwide organised a Washington visit for Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, lining up meetings with Representatives Rob Bresnahan (R-WI), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Jack Bergman (R-MI) to talk security and counterterrorism.
By April and May 2025, the pace shifted from targeted outreach to a full-scale blitz. Orchid Advisors LLC came on board for USD 250,000 a month (USD 3 million a year, Rs 831 million PKR). Seiden Law LLP, with a six-month, USD 1.2 million contract (Rs 332 million PKR), brought a legal and economic layer; its subcontractor, Conscience Point, added another USD 150,000 (Rs 41.6 million PKR). Javelin Advisors, at USD 50,000 a month (USD 600,000 a year, Rs 166 million PKR), covered communications. And through a corporate front, Greystone Investment and Management LLC, Pakistan signed a two-phase deal with Checkmate Government Relations—USD 100,000 for 30 days, with the option to expand to USD 300,000 (Rs 27.7-83 million PKR) for bilateral political work.
All told, the contracts add up to between USD 6.55 million and USD 6.75 million—roughly Rs 1.8-1.9 billion PKR channeled through Washington in twelve months. India, by contrast, took a quieter tack. In April 2025, New Delhi signed a single USD 1.8 million (Rs 14.94 crore INR) strategic advisory contract with SHW Partners. Put simply, Pakistan’s spend on lobbyists in Washington is three times India’s spend.
