Pakistan lobbied in US to ‘somehow stop’ India’s military response after Op Sindoor: Report

Pakistan launched an extraordinary lobbying campaign in Washington following India's military action during Operation Sindoor in May 2025, official US documents show. Pakistani diplomats and defence officials actively sought US intervention to "somehow stop" India's military campaign after the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

As mentioned in a report in NDTV, records accessed from US government filings reveal that Pakistan's ambassador and defence attaché contacted more than 60 officials and intermediaries. The outreach aimed to press Washington for involvement, targeting senior figures in the US administration, Congress, the Pentagon, the State Department, and prominent American journalists.

Documents indicate that between the launch of Operation Sindoor and the ceasefire's full implementation, Pakistani representatives held or requested over 50 meetings with influential US lawmakers and media outlets. The filings were made under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

The lobbying campaign addressed several topics, including Kashmir, regional security, rare earth minerals, and broader bilateral ties between Pakistan and the United States. Pakistani officials also sought interviews and background briefings with leading US media organisations.

Several entries in the documentation describe these activities as "ongoing representation of Pakistan". The campaign included repeated outreach by email, phone, and in-person meetings, showing the intensity with which Pakistan sought to influence US policy.

The focus on enlisting US intervention reflected Islamabad's aim to blunt India's military response, the report added.

This campaign came on the back of Pakistan’s contracts with six Washington lobbying firms worth roughly $5 million annually to gain rapid access to the Trump administration, as mentioned in a report by the New York Times.

Soon after Islamabad struck a deal with Seiden Law LLP working through Javelin Advisors, Trump hosted Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House.