Asad Majeed signed most expensive contract with US lobbyist

ISLAMABAD: Asad Majeed Khan, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, at the time he engaged Fenton Arlok LLC for public relations, had already signed one of the most expensive lobbying deals with another firm for the same purpose. 

On March 21, 2022, just five days before Imran Khan disclosed the alleged regime change conspiracy, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US Asad Majeed Khan had signed a lobbying deal with Fenton Arlok LLC. Later, the same organisation became PTI’s lobbyist too.

It’s interesting to note that over four months prior to this agreement, Asad Majeed Khan had already recruited Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, another lobbying company, to enhance ties between the United States and Pakistan. During his tenure as ambassador to the United States, he had signed one of the most costly contracts. As per the agreement, a copy of which is available with The News, Pakistan Embassy had agreed to pay $100,000 monthly ($1.2 million annually) to Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP. However, despite having an active lobbying contract with such an expensive firm, the ambassador had signed a new agreement with Fenton Arlok for the same purpose. The monthly payment as agreed with Fenton Arlok was $30,000.

Five months later, in August 2022, Imran Khan’s party engaged Fenton Arlok LLC to promote the party’s image in the United States. The PTI, on the other hand, agreed to pay the lobbying company $25,000 every month.

As per the contract signed between the Pakistan Embassy in the United States and Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, “The Firm shall provide general governmental relations services, to include providing policy advice and advocating on behalf of the Embassy before the US Congress, the Executive Branch, and relevant third-party organisations in Washington, DC.

“Upon execution of this agreement, our monthly retainer fee for this matter will be $100,000 inclusive of charges and expenses saved for business-related travel to Pakistan, effective for an initial annual term, at which time this agreement will be re-evaluated. “Pakistan will be invoiced for this retainer quarterly in advance and no work will begin until the invoice has been paid,” reads the agreement.

Diplomatic sources raised the question that when the embassy already had a lobbying firm on its retainership and that too at a very high price, what was the reason for hiring another firm for the same job? What was the urgent need for hiring Fenton Arlok when the embassy already had an agreement with Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP? The sources also questioned if the prime minister was in the loop while signing the deal with the firm. The News sent a questionnaire to Ambassador Asad Majeed Khan. However, despite the passage of two days and various reminders, he did not respond.