Islamabad. On one hand, Pakistan’s economy has completely collapsed, foreign exchange reserves are on the verge of depletion and the general public is yearning for basic things like flour and pulses, while on the other hand, Pakistani rulers are spending crores of rupees like water to shine their international image. Recent revelations made by the US Justice Department have exposed Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the military leadership. Documents have revealed that Pakistan has done heavy lobbying in Washington to save its reputation and create an atmosphere against India during India’s Operation Sindoor.
According to the revelations, Pakistan spent a large part of the hard-earned money of its poor people in influencing American lawmakers and policy-makers. Pakistan took the services of the influential Washington DC lobbying firm Squire Patton Boggs and the politically influential Javelin Advisors. Javelin Advisors was appointed by Pakistan at a huge fee of US$50,000 (about 1.40 crore Pakistani rupees) per month. The main work of this firm was to convey Pakistan’s case to the top leaders of both the houses of the US Congress – House of Representatives and Senate. The surprising thing is that the lobbying companies that Pakistan took help of are directly related to the corridors of American power. Javelin Advisors’ founders include former aides to Donald Trump. These companies contacted the offices of influential leaders such as Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries during Operation Vermillion. Their objective was to deny Pakistan’s involvement in the Pahalgam terror attack and present itself as a peace-loving country. Records show that calls were also organized between US lawmakers and Pakistan’s Ambassador in May 2025 so that Pakistan could set its agenda on the increasing tension with India.
According to information filed with the US Justice Department, lobbying firms also distributed a controversial note among US lawmakers. In this note, Pakistan, on the contrary, accused India of spreading instability within its border and reiterated the demand for international mediation on the Kashmir issue. Pakistan’s effort was to get America to intervene in this matter and get a clean chit from terrorism charges. Not only this, these firms also contacted journalists of reputed American newspapers like New York Times and Wall Street Journal so that news in favor of Pakistan could be published in the international media.
Experts believe that this revelation exposes the dual character of Pakistan. While on one hand he is extending his hand to the world for loan, on the other hand he is spending crores of rupees to spread propaganda against India. This hesitation of Pakistan after the pressure of Indian Armed Forces during Operation Sindoor shows how isolated it has become on the diplomatic front. This costly attempt to prove oneself innocent may now lead to political controversy within Pakistan.
