Newly disclosed US government documents filed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) have revealed an extensive and urgent lobbying campaign mounted by Pakistan in Washington during India's Operation Sindoor in May 2025. The effort sought to mobilize American officials to intervene and curb New Delhi's precision military strikes launched in retaliation for the deadly Pahalgam terror attack.

The filings document more than 60 instances of outreach by Pakistani diplomats, including the ambassador and defense attaché, through emails, telephone calls, and direct meetings with senior figures in the US administration, members of Congress, Pentagon officials, State Department representatives, and influential journalists. This intensive activity spanned from the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack—which claimed 26 lives, primarily Hindu tourists—and extended through the four-day military exchanges until the ceasefire on May 10.

Discussions in these engagements centered on framing Kashmir as a potential nuclear flashpoint, underscoring threats to regional security, exploring potential cooperation on rare earth minerals, and advocating for strengthened bilateral relations. Pakistani representatives persistently pushed for US diplomatic pressure to halt India's operation, which targeted nine terrorist infrastructure sites linked to groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.

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This lobbying initiative formed part of a larger strategic push, with Pakistan entering into multimillion-dollar contracts with multiple Washington-based firms, reportedly valued at approximately $5 million annually. These arrangements aimed to facilitate expedited access to the Trump administration and influence outcomes on trade, tariffs, and diplomatic positioning.

The campaign yielded notable results, including a high-profile White House meeting for Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, signaling a marked improvement in US-Pakistan ties amid the crisis. Analysts note that Pakistan's lobbying expenditures during the critical April-May period significantly outpaced India's, contributing to shifts in policy perception and public narratives.

Observers highlight that these efforts underscore Pakistan's acute diplomatic and military pressures during the standoff, reflecting a determined attempt to leverage influence in Washington to mitigate battlefield disadvantages and secure broader concessions in international forums.

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