Brownstein to lobby for Pakistan

New Delhi, Nov 18 (IANS) The Pakistani government has brought on a team of lobbyists from Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, including former Senator Mark Begich, to represent its interests in Washington amid the ongoing humanitarian fallout of the U.S withdrawal from Afghanistan, Politico reported.

Brownstein's contract with the Pakistani Embassy is worth $100,000 per month, to be paid quarterly, the report said.

It comes as Pakistan has continued to engage with US, Russia and China in the wake of the pullout of US troops from Afghanistan and the Taliban's subsequent takeover, the Politico report said.

Representatives from those countries, or the extended troika, met last week in Islamabad to discuss what they described in a joint statement as a "severe humanitarian and economic situation in Afghanistan".

The extended Troika also met with Taliban leaders on the sidelines of those talks, where they called on the Taliban to allow "unhindered humanitarian access" and pushed for the restoration of rights for women and girls.

In a statement, Brownstein spokesperson Lara Day said that the firm will work to "forge stronger Pakistan-US bilateral relations" following the withdrawal, which she contended is "essential to regional peace and stability, strong counterterrorism efforts, and promotion of economic growth and trade".

Day noted that Pakistan is also "at the crossroads of developments in and between Iran and China, making it strategically important to both the US and European partners", the report added.