Pakistan Hires Another
Lobbyist in Washington
Washington: Pakistan has got
itself yet another lobbyist at a yearly cost of $1.2 million,
which brings the number of those it has been using to sell
itself on Capitol Hill and in the corridors of the government
to two, though there could be more.
The other firm representing Pakistan here is Van Scoyoc Associates,
which is paid $55,000 a month. “We continue to represent
the embassy and work with the ambassador and his team on a
daily basis,” according to Mark Talvarides, vice president
for Van Scoyoc and lead lobbyist on the contract.
The new lobbyist for Pakistan is a firm called Cassidy and
Associates, and the person who would be carrying Pakistan’s
flag will be former assistant secretary of state for South
Asia, Robin Raphael. Raphael, who retired from foreign service
a few years ago, earned the permanent ire of the Indian government
and the Indian-American community for questioning the authenticity
of the instrument of accession allegedly signed by Maharaja
Hari Singh, which, India maintains, put the seal of approval
on the state’s accession to India. That is a position
accepted neither by Pakistan nor the people of Kashmir, nor
the United Nations for that matter. This correspondent was
present at the press conference where the erstwhile assistant
secretary made her observation, which caused an uproar in
India. She was instructed never to repeat that bit again and
she did not. The only other government Cassidy works for is
Equatorial Guinea
According to records filed with the Justice Department, the
contract with Pakistan has a year’s validity. However,
other things being equal, there is every likelihood of its
being renewed. Cassidy’s work will involve lobbying
and public relations campaigns promoting Pakistan’s
status as an “important strategic partner of the US”,
according to The Hill, a small publication devoted to congressional
coverage.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, fist secretary at the Pakistan embassy,
told The Hill, “We thought we had some challenging issues
and we thought we should add another lobbying firm.”
Robin Raphel, who is also senior vice president at Cassidy,
stressed Pakistan’s necessity as an ally for the American
counter-terrorism strategy. “We need to recognize it
is not easy what Pakistan is trying to do here in assisting
us in the fight against the terrorism in the region,”
she said. She added her job would be to make sure “all
relevant parties have the facts”, adding, “I think
it’s clear there is a less than perfect understanding
of Pakistan here.”
Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party is represented
by BKSH and Associates and its affiliate Burson-Marsteller
LLC to promote fair elections in Pakistan. Pakistan Embassy
first secretary Baloch told The Hill, “We believe there
is common ground between her party and the government.”
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