Pakistan Signs $1.2 Million FARA Lobbying Contract With Washington Firm: Ervin Graves Strategy Group Tasked To Engage The Pentagon, NSC And Congress On Restoring Afghanistan-Era Security Ties And Unlocking American Copper Investment In Balochistan
According to UCA News, Pakistan has hired Washington-based Ervin Graves Strategy Group under a two-year, $1.2 million contract — disclosed under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act — to lobby the Pentagon, National Security Council, and Congress on two core priorities: restoring defence cooperation mechanisms that existed during the war in Afghanistan and attracting American investment into Pakistan’s critical minerals sector.
The contract, registered May 1, 2026 at $50,000 per month, came as Pakistan earned diplomatic goodwill with the Trump administration following its role in mediating the US-Iran conflict. The agreement tasks Ervin Graves with facilitating meetings with senior US officials, engaging think tanks and media, monitoring legislation, and building congressional constituencies of support for the relationship.
On the minerals front, the contract directs the firm to identify investors for Balochistan, home to Reko Diq — one of the world’s largest untapped copper and gold reserves. Washington pledged $1.25 billion toward Reko Diq in December 2025 as part of Project Vault, a $10 billion US initiative to secure critical mineral supply chains away from China’s dominance.
The contract is a candid document. It tells you exactly what Islamabad wants from Washington right now: the same defence relationship that existed during the Afghanistan years, and American money parked next to Chinese infrastructure in Balochistan. Whether Trump’s team has the appetite or the bandwidth for both ambitions simultaneously is an entirely different question — especially given the history of volatility in this relationship.
Check out our previous coverage of Pakistan affairs on The Trusted Times.
