To avoid FATF grey list, Pakistan used lobbying firms for US government help

New Delhi: Disclosures under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) reveal that Pakistan, through lobbying firms in Washington, sought support from the US government to avoid being placed on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list.

Pakistan is often seen as having a chequered past when it comes to illicit money flow. At a proposed FATF meet next month, there will be scrutiny on whether it aided terror financing or not.

FARA filing shows that Javelin Advisors LLC was registered in April to represent Pakistan under a formal consulting agreement dated April 24, two days after the Pahalgam terror attack. Javelin said its work included communicating Pakistan's positions on regional and global issues to the US executive branch, US Congress and the public. The issues listed include the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and Pakistan-India relations.


Another filing shows that the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington entered into a contract with Ervin Graves Strategy Group LLC, effective October 1, 2025. It also lobbied heavily for keeping Pakistan out of the FATF grey list.

However, counter-terror experts claim that Islamabad has often misled the international community and failed to take corrective institutional actions to suppress terror financing.