The agreement was signed on May 1, 2021 to lobby and advise on US-Pakistan relations. Interestingly, Durrani, who had no government position at the time of the signing of contract, was representing the PTI, the-then ruling party. However, as per the agreement, the consulting firm was to be paid by the Government of Pakistan.
This begs the question of how a party official could sign a contract on the government’s behalf. Given that the contract was signed by a representative of a political party, it also begs the question of whether government monies were diverted for political causes.
In accordance with the agreement, the Government of Pakistan was required to pay the lobbying company a fixed monthly sum of $25,000 in addition to a $5,000 one-time service charge or expense retainer. Even though the PTI office-bearer signed the contract, the government was required to pay the agreed-upon sum in accordance with the contract’s terms and conditions.
A copy of Section 11 of the agreement, which states that Mr. Durrani is under the supervision of the party’s senior leadership—the party now in power—is accessible to this scribe. Mr. Durrani is essentially under the command of senior party officials who are supervising him, as well as the officials of the Pakistani government. Mr. Durrani is in fact also under the influence of Pakistani government officials because certain of his actions are overseen, managed, and funded by them. Mr. Durrani distributes government of Pakistan funding.
The News was informed by reliable sources that Durrani had misrepresented the details of the arrangement. The signing of the agreement did not involve the Ministry of Law and Justice or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The sources noted that Durrani had “likely distorted the facts” and provided the government with justification for the arrangement “in order to avoid any regulatory processes in the US.”
In accordance with the contract, “the consulting firm will maintain contacts with US government officials of the executive and legislative branches, as well as with think tanks and other informed individuals, in addition to consulting with the client and the client’s associates, to determine how the scope of constructive relations between the U.S. government and the government of Pakistan might be enhanced, and will advise his Pakistani client and the client’s associates in accordance with such findings and recommendations.”
Imran Khan, the leader of the PTI, has a history of working with lobbying firms to improve his party’s reputation in the US. On the one hand, he accuses the US of being responsible for Pakistan’s regime change. Following Imran Khan’s removal from office, PTI USA Inc. recently hired the lobbying firm Fenton/Arlook to handle its public relations needs in the US.
Iftikhar Durrani, a former SAPM, was contacted by The News for his account, but he did not return the phone. Then, on his WhatsApp, this reporter sent him a questionnaire, but he chose not to respond.
