During Op Sindoor, Pakistan's email to US reveals all-out bid to woo Trump admin

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) with Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif (L) and Army Chief Asim Munir in Washington (AFP)

• Pakistan urged US to reset ties, offering trade, investment, and security cooperation.
• Policy note highlights Pakistan as vital economic, security ally amid regional unrest
• US invited Pakistan's Army Chief to White House; announced minerals, energy cooperation

Did our AI summary help?

Filings by US law firms had recently revealed how Pakistan had mounted a coordinated lobbying and diplomatic push to reset ties with United States in May 2025 during Operation Sindoor.

Now, a letter and policy document sent to senior US State Department officials, accessed by India Today, has exposed Islamabad’s growing urgency to regain relevance in Washington.

According to details reported by India Today, the outreach began on May 14, 2025, when Paul W Jones, a former US ambassador and now an adviser at Washington-based law and lobbying firm Squire Patton Boggs, emailed a senior State Department official with a one-page policy note titled “A Renewed Pakistan–United States Relationship.”

Jones made clear that his firm was acting transparently and legally, noting that Squire Patton Boggs is a registered agent of the Government of Pakistan under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), the report said.

What did Pakistan's email contain

In the email, Jones asked whether the proposal “missed anything” or might “sound off-key in Washington,” underscoring Islamabad’s caution — and anxiety — about how its pitch would be received amid sensitive US–India dynamics. He attached the one-page note along with the email.

The email was addressed to Elizabeth K Horst, a senior US diplomat and former ambassador to Sri Lanka, then overseeing South and Central Asia policy. Jones also sought a separate discussion on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), signalling Pakistan’s concern over renewed scrutiny related to terror financing and financial compliance.

The policy document attached to the email laid out Pakistan’s offer in strikingly transactional terms, presenting itself as an economic, security and geopolitical asset at a time of regional volatility.

On trade, Pakistan proposed buying significantly more US exports, including agricultural and energy products, lowering tariffs on American goods, and rapidly rebalancing bilateral trade. It pointed out that its trade surplus with the US stood at under $3 billion and argued this gap could be closed quickly.

On investment, the document promised fast-track access for US investors through the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), explicitly described as being jointly chaired by the Prime Minister and the Army Chief — a rare acknowledgement of the military’s central role in Pakistan’s economic decision-making. It also offered government-backed support for strategic projects and preferential treatment for US firms in sensitive sectors.

The pitch also positioned Pakistan as a potential hub for critical minerals such as copper, lithium, cobalt and rare earths, resources it claimed were worth trillions of dollars and essential to US national security. Pakistan explicitly sought a bilateral critical minerals agreement with Washington.

Security cooperation formed another pillar of the outreach. Pakistan highlighted its role in counter-terrorism, including the arrest and expulsion of the ISIS operative linked to the Abbey Gate bombing, offered expanded cooperation against ISIS and the Pakistan Taliban (TTP), and pledged assistance in recovering US weapons left behind in Afghanistan.

The document also sought to recalibrate geopolitical perceptions. It argued that Pakistan’s ties with China were pragmatic rather than exclusionary, that the US–India partnership should not limit closer US–Pakistan engagement, and that both countries shared concerns in Afghanistan.

Within weeks of the letter, the outreach appeared to bear fruit.

Pakistan’s Army Chief and now Field Marshal, Asim Munir, was invited to the White House in June 2025 for a lunch with US President Donald Trump. Soon after, cooperation on critical minerals and energy — themes highlighted in the policy note — was publicly announced.

The email and the consequent announcements also signalled how Washington recognises Pakistani military as the only institution capable of delivering on strategic commitments.