Who lobbies for India and Pakistan in D.C.?

Washington Post
India, Pakistan Sign With U.S. Lobby Shops
By Judy Sarasohn
Thursday, September 15, 2005; A31

B arbour Griffith & Rogers and officials in the government of India didn't want to talk fees for their new lobbying contract last week. Well, we could wait a bit.

The lobby shop's foreign agent filing finally surfaced at the Justice Department, and it shows that the fees are none too shabby.

Merely $700,000 for a year's work of "developing, refining and expanding relationships between Indian officials and the U.S. foreign policy-making apparatus in the Executive and Legislative Branches."

Too bad the shop can't take advantage of the services of Robert D. Blackwill , former U.S. ambassador to India, who is now president of Barbour Griffith & Rogers International . He is under a one-year ban on representing a foreign government that does not expire until November.

Not to miss out on the benefits of a lobbyist to help navigate one's way in Washington, Pakistan has also retained a top-notch firm, Van Scoyoc Associates , although not at quite as pricey a fee. Pakistan, which has a tense relationship with India, is paying $570,000 for 15 months of work.

According to Van Scoyoc's foreign agent filing, the firm will "engage in discussions with the Legislative and Executive Branches . . . on issues of interest to the Government of Pakistan." That would include helping persuade Congress not to block the Bush administration's plans to sell F-16s to Pakistan as well as to provide about $3 billion over five years in military and economic assistance.

"Pakistan is an important ally," says Mark J. Tavlarides , a Van Scoyoc lobbyist. Tavlarides was director for legislative affairs at the National Security Council during the Clinton administration.

Also on the team: H. Stewart Van Scoyoc and Lee Rawls , formerly chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and chief of staff to FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III.