Lobbying Insights: The Halt of Operation Sindoor Unveiled

The Congress highlighted events around May 10, 2025, when U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the halt of Operation Sindoor. Filings revealed American lobbying engagement by the Indian embassy with the Trump administration, focusing on a trade deal and media coverage, illustrating standard lobbying practices.

A significant development transpired on May 10, 2025, when U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared the cessation of Operation Sindoor. This announcement followed revelations by an American lobbying firm, SHW Partners, hired by the Indian embassy to liaise with the Trump administration on various issues, including a proposed trade deal and media narratives surrounding the operation.

The disclosed lobbying activities, filed with the U.S. Department of Justice under the Foreign Agent Registration Act, highlighted engagements with key figures such as White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and the National Security Council's Ricky Gill. These interactions underscore the potential influence trade considerations might have had on halting the military operation targeting terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The Indian embassy characterized the hiring of lobbyists as a routine activity, consistent with long-standing practices of foreign missions and business entities in the U.S. This transparency in strategy illustrates the complex web of international diplomacy and lobbying, as mirrored by separate filings from Seiden Law LLP, detailing Pakistan's efforts to forge economic alliances with the United States during the conflict period.

(With inputs from agencies.)