Pakistan Cuts Ties with US Lobbying Firms After Record Spending

Pakistan has cut ties with several prominent lobbying firms in the United States after spending record sums in 2025 to secure access to the highest levels of the Trump administration. Islamabad’s lobbying outlay had surged to about $600,000 a month, marking the highest level in recent decades, before the Pahalgam terror attack in April and India’s subsequent military response, Operation Sindoor, in May. According to the Hindustan Times, which first reported the development, Pakistan has terminated relationships with Javelin Advisors, Seiden Law, Orchid Advisers, Squire Patton Boggs and Conscience Point Consulting, citing filings made with the US Department of Justice towards the end of 2025. The five firms together were estimated to have received roughly $450,000 a month to shape public opinion and engage with institutions such as the White House, Congress and the State Department. Several had links to the Trump administration. Javelin Advisors and Trump Organisation executive George Sorial, disclosed it stopped lobbying for Pakistan in October 2025 after being paid $50,000 a month as a subcontractor to Seiden Law. In a final disclosure filed in November, the firm said it had advised Pakistan on a proposed memorandum of understanding on critical minerals, offered guidance on the India-Pakistan conflict and facilitated introductions to members of Congress and the executive branch. Javelin Advisors, Seiden Law, Orchid Advisers, Squire Patton Boggs and Conscience Point Consulting. Spending peaked at about $600,000 per month in 2025 and has since fallen to roughly $175,000 a month, below India’s estimated $200,000. Several of the firms hired by Pakistan had close ties to US President Donald Trump or his political network. Javelin Advisors was founded by Keith Schiller, Trump’s longtime bodyguard, and George Sorial, a former executive at the Trump Organization. The firm disclosed it advised Pakistan on a proposed critical minerals agreement and facilitated introductions to members of Congress and the executive branch before ending its contract in October 2025. Seiden Law was founded by Robert Seiden, who previously worked as a private investigator for Trump’s political campaigns. Seiden Law also said its $200,000-a-month contract ended in October 2025. Pakistan’s lobbying push had intensified in April and May 2025, when Squire Patton Boggs, Javelin Advisors, Seiden Law, Orchid Advisers and Conscience Point Consulting were hired shortly before hostilities broke out between India and Pakistan. Former Pakistani diplomats told Hindustan Times the decision to scale back may reflect confidence in having secured access within the Trump administration. Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US, said Islamabad’s lobbying helped build a favourable narrative and that while such spending can bring short-term gains, the broader strategic picture remains unchanged, with India continuing to be Washington’s preferred partner. Pakistan now retains only Qorvis LLC and Ervin Graves Strategy Group, spending about $175,000 a month, compared with India’s roughly $200,000 monthly outlay on firms including SHW Partners and Mercury Global Affairs, the report said.