An Islamabad-based national security think tank has engaged a new lobbying firm in the US, according to the official list of registered foreign agents.
Under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), lobbyists or lobbying firms working for foreign entities, including governments and private companies, must be publicly listed. The recent FARA filing on the US Justice Department’s website identifies the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) as the Pakistani organization engaging in lobbying efforts.
IPRI, one of Pakistan’s oldest non-partisan think tanks, focuses on national security, international relations, law, and strategic studies. The institute is led by its current president, retired Maj Gen Raza Muhammad. IPRI has enlisted Team Eagle Consulting, a US-based firm headed by lawyer Stephen Payne, who represents both American and foreign clients in Washington.
According to FARA filings, Team Eagle’s objective is to strengthen US-Pakistan relations. This engagement appears to be a strategic response to the increasing influence of PTI supporters in the US, who are campaigning for the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and other imprisoned party members.
The contract comes shortly after several US Congress members wrote to President Joe Biden, urging the release of Imran Khan, a move that Pakistan’s Foreign Office deemed “counterproductive” and against diplomatic protocol.
Documents reveal that Team Eagle will receive $1.5 million annually, or $125,000 per month, for its services. According to a press release on Yahoo Finance, Team Eagle is described as “a consortium of leading Pakistan experts and globally recognized specialists in strategic, government affairs, and economic development.”