ISLAMABAD, July 14: The Pakistan government spends over $1 million annually for influence peddling in the power corridors of the United States, but has apparently been failing to counter the negative image of the country in America.
The public owned dollars paid to the lobbyists, sources say, are taken out of the $2 million per annum secret service expenditures put at the disposal of country’s ambassador to Washington.
But strangely enough, the ruling Pakistan People’s Party and its Co-Chairman President Asif Ali Zardari get the same services from the same lobbying firm for free.
Former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani may have not told the Memo Commission about the utilisation of the secret fund, but another document leaked to Dawn reveals that the embassy’s main lobbyist -- Locke Lord Strategies LP -- is paid $75,000 per month. The report gives a partial insight into how and for what purpose the amount is spent.
A half-yearly disclosure submitted this year by Locke Lord Strategies under Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) revealed that the firm, run by Phil Rivers, Mark Siegel, Shane Doucet, had been paid $527,200 for the Oct 2011-March 2012 period.
Lobbyists in the US are required to file six monthly reports with the FARA Registration Unit in the National Security Division (NSD), detailing their clients and departments with whom they are lobbying and the fees charged for the same.
Embassy sources reveal that there are other lobbyist firms which are paid lesser and the total amount spent every year on lobbying touches $100,000 per month or $1.2 million a year. The amount is slightly less than $1.5 million per year that the Indian government and corporate sector collectively spends for lobbying in the US. The major share is provided by the corporate sector.
The political activity carried out by the lobbyists on behalf of the Pakistan government, as detailed in the declaration, includes 14 telephone calls to Congressmen and US officials, including eight to the coordinator for non-military assistance to Pakistan, Robin Raphael, and 15 meetings.
An official quipped Ms Raphael knows Pakistan more than the embassy’s lobbyists.
Additionally, an amount of $25,000 was disbursed by the lobbying firm as political donations. The main recipient was National Republican Senatorial Committee, which got $10,000.
The lobbying firm, the declaration further notes, serves the embassy and the PPP by monitoring activities of the US government, both executive and legislative branches, and providing them strategic advice on Pakistan-US ties.
While the embassy was charged for these services, the declaration notes that representation of PPP was “pro bono”.
Despite spending huge amounts on lobbyists, Pakistan’s image has deteriorated fast in the US, particularly with regards to its role in the war on terror. This deterioration coupled with the crisis in the relationship witnessed last year has led to hardening of position of American leaders and its public on issues relating to Pakistan. It is no surprise that there is a growing chorus in the US urging White House to be tougher with Islamabad.
And as a visiting US scholar at Jinnah Institute, Rebecca Goetz, while speaking at a policy discussion forum the other day, said Pakistan’s negative portrayal in mainstream American media had led to increasing domestic support in the US for drone strikes and also affected domestic immigration laws.
Seeking US government’s ears with the help of lobbyists may be OK, an analyst said, but the manner in which taxpayers’ money is squandered without any result coming forth may be something of serious concern.
US Embassy spokesman Nadeem Hotiana could not be reached for comments.
