‘India has only paused’: US documents reveal Pakistan’s fear of a second round of Operation Sindoor strikes

US Foreign Agents Registration Act filings accessed by NDTV and News18 show Islamabad feared Indian strikes could resume and sought American intervention.

• Pakistan sought US help, fearing Indian airstrikes during Operation Sindoor.
• Pakistan contacted US officials over 50 times during and after the crisis.
• Docs contradict Pakistan's claims, reveal fear of more Indian strikes

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Pakistan quietly reached out to the United States for help during India’s Operation Sindoor in May, fearing that Indian airstrikes on its territory could resume, according to documents filed under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and accessed by NDTV and News18.

The filings undercut Islamabad’s public claims during the crisis and show that Pakistani officials were worried India had only “paused” military action, not ended it.

What the FARA documents say

A document circulated by US lobbying firm Squire Patton Boggs on behalf of the Government of Pakistan stated: “We worry that PM Modi has said India has only paused its military action, and attacks on Pakistan could resume,” according to NDTV.

The material was distributed in Washington after India launched airstrikes on May 7 under Operation Sindoor, targeting terror camps and airbases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Contradicting Pakistan’s ceasefire narrative

The filings also contradict Pakistan’s assertion that India sought a ceasefire. According to NDTV, Pakistani military commanders reached out after assessing the damage and realising they could not sustain further losses.

India has consistently maintained that the ceasefire announced on May 10 followed a hotline conversation between the two countries’ Directors General of Military Operations, not third-party mediation.

New Delhi has also rejected repeated claims by US President Donald Trump that Washington brokered the truce.

Fear of escalation drove outreach

As the operation unfolded, Pakistan sought US intervention as a last resort, fearing that India could restart strikes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi later said publicly that Operation Sindoor was “merely suspended” and warned in Parliament in July that any provocation would invite a “fitting and formidable retaliation”.

US filings also show Pakistan signalling openness to American mediation and broader dialogue with India, including on counterterrorism and the Indus Waters Treaty.

Lobbying blitz in Washington

Separate FARA documents cited by News18 show that Pakistani diplomats and defence officials contacted US lawmakers, officials, intermediaries and even media outlets more than 50 times during and after the operation.

The filings were submitted by Squire Patton Boggs (US), which listed the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan as its foreign principal.

A New York Times investigation had earlier reported a sharp rise in Pakistan’s lobbying spend in Washington in April and May.

What Pakistan offered

According to the documents, Pakistan floated a reset of bilateral ties with the US, offering cooperation, investments and access to critical minerals. The outreach framed Pakistan as a strategic partner bordering Afghanistan, Iran, India and China, and highlighted its role in counterterrorism.

Context

Operation Sindoor was launched after a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 civilians were killed. Indian strikes on the night of May 6–7 targeted nine terror-linked sites, using precision weapons and surveillance systems, according to official accounts.

After four days of military tension, India and Pakistan announced a ceasefire on May 10.

The newly disclosed US filings add documentary evidence to India’s claim that Islamabad, not New Delhi, sought external help as the pressure mounted.