Pakistan has engaged a US lobbying firm to advocate for enhanced security cooperation and increased investment in its minerals sector, coinciding with its rising global profile through mediation efforts in the Iran conflict. The two-year contract, valued at $1.2 million and commencing in May, aims to capitalize on the goodwill Pakistan has gained with the Trump administration and translate it into concrete bilateral advantages.
However, challenges remain. Maleeha Lodhi, former Pakistani ambassador to Washington, noted the unpredictability of sustained improvement in ties given the historical fluctuations in the relationship. The contract appoints the Capitol Hill-based Ervin Graves Strategy Group to liaise with the US Congress and government agencies, facilitating meetings with key entities such as the Pentagon and the National Security Council. This arrangement expands on a previous short-term deal made in October, doubling the monthly fee to $50,000.
While the Foreign Office has not commented on the agreement, a US State Department spokesperson acknowledged ongoing efforts to identify mutual areas of cooperation related to trade and security priorities. Governments frequently employ lobbyists to strengthen their influence among Washington’s decision-makers, and Pakistan’s latest contract, filed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, reveals its strategic focus.
The lobbying efforts emphasize restoring defense cooperation frameworks that existed during the Afghanistan war and attracting foreign investment in the minerals sector, which is currently dominated by China. Elizabeth Threlkeld, former US diplomat in Pakistan and head of the Stimson Center’s South Asia Program, highlighted that the contract aligns with Trump administration priorities such as critical minerals and counterterrorism. It also reflects a desire to engage Congress more broadly to build support for the bilateral partnership.
Key directives include highlighting threats originating from Afghanistan and advocating for continued US backing of Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations, particularly as Islamabad intensifies strikes in response to militant attacks across the border. A source familiar with the matter indicated that Pakistan’s role in facilitating the June interim US-Iran agreement opened a strategic window. The source emphasized the goal of institutionalizing the relationship beyond personal ties to ensure continuity despite changes in government.
Since the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, which concluded a two-decade conflict shaping much of the US-Pakistan relationship, ties have cooled. The lobbying contract instructs Ervin Graves to pursue the resumption of high-level bilateral defense and security dialogues, potentially reviving the Defence Consultative Group (DCG), a key forum during the Afghanistan war era. Shuja Nawaz, Atlantic Council fellow and author of The Battle for Pakistan: The Bitter US Friendship and a Tough Neighbourhood, noted that while cooperation has fluctuated, security collaboration has rarely ceased.
Intelligence sharing has yielded results, including the capture last year of an Islamic State operative linked to the 2021 Kabul airport attack. The contract also dedicates significant attention to the minerals sector, a global strategic priority for the Trump administration. It tasks the firm with supporting efforts to identify cooperation opportunities, advising on policy and investment strategies, and pinpointing potential investors.
This focus builds on American interest in mining ventures in southwestern Balochistan, home to one of the world’s largest untapped copper reserves, a critical resource for AI data center infrastructure. In December, the US pledged $1.25 billion for the Reko Diq copper and gold mine in Balochistan. Nawaz stressed that for the US-Pakistan relationship to deepen beyond transient goodwill, Pakistan must strengthen its domestic economic environment to attract foreign investment, which would in turn bolster US interest.
