Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party has reportedly hired a firm for lobbying in the United States to make authorities aware of the threats faced by Pakistan’s former prime minister.

Dawn newspaper, quoting a senior party leader, reported that the PTI’s US unit signed a contract with a Washington-based lobbying firm, Praia Consultants LLC, on February 21 this year. The contract will be valid for six months and can be renewed for another six-month term with mutual consent.

The New York-based PTI unit will pay $8,333 per month to the US firm. Under the contract, the firm “shall provide expert advice regarding the client’s relationship with the US government and institutions”.

The firm shall also “organise meetings with several key US decision-makers and will provide guidance in terms of the content of the meetings”.

The details of the agreement were revealed only on Wednesday, a month after the contract was signed after Pakistan’s former US ambassador Hussain Haqqani posted a copy of the contract on his Twitter handle.

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اندرون مُلک بیانیہ ہے کہ امریکہ سے “حقیقی آزادی” چاہئیے۔ اُدھر امریکہ میں لابئسٹوں کو ڈالروں میں ادائیگیاں جاری ہیں۔ عمران خان کی پی ٹی آئی نے امریکہ میں ایک اور لابئیسٹ ہائر کر لیا۔ 🤔 <a href="https://t.co/g0vaFzFHA5">pic.twitter.com/g0vaFzFHA5</a>
— Husain Haqqani (@husainhaqqani) <a href="https://twitter.com/husainhaqqani/status/1638503568134090754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2023</a></blockquote>
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This prompted strong reactions from the adviser to the PTI chairman on overseas affairs, Atif Khan, who then publicly acknowledged the contract.

“What we are paying the firm, does not come from Pakistan. It’s our money that we are spending to protect Imran Khan,” he wrote.

“The firm will help us in making Americans aware of the threat to Khan’s life,” he told Dawn.

The need to hire a lobbying firm to repair relations between Khan and the Biden administration marks a departure from the party’s previous policy where Washington has been blamed for the cricketer-turned-politician’s ouster from the government in April last year.

With this, the PTI hopes to win over the sympathies for the former prime minister in Washington where he is believed to be unpopular.

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
&nbsp;

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Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party has reportedly hired a firm for lobbying in the United States to make authorities aware of the threats faced by Pakistan’s former prime minister.

Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party has reportedly hired a firm for lobbying in the United States to make authorities aware of the threats faced by Pakistan’s former prime minister. Dawn newspaper, quoting a senior party leader, reported that the PTI’s US unit signed a contract with a Washington-based lobbying firm, Praia Consultants LLC, on February 21 this year. The contract will be valid for six months and can be renewed for another six-month term with mutual consent. The New York-based PTI unit will pay $8,333 per month to the US firm. Under the contract, the firm “shall provide expert advice regarding the client’s relationship with the US government and institutions”. The firm shall also “organise meetings with several key US decision-makers and will provide guidance in terms of the content of the meetings”. The details of the agreement were revealed only on Wednesday, a month after the contract was signed after Pakistan’s former US ambassador Hussain Haqqani posted a copy of the contract on his Twitter handle. اندرون مُلک بیانیہ ہے کہ امریکہ سے “حقیقی آزادی” چاہئیے۔ اُدھر امریکہ میں لابئسٹوں کو ڈالروں میں ادائیگیاں جاری ہیں۔ عمران خان کی پی ٹی آئی نے امریکہ میں ایک اور لابئیسٹ ہائر کر لیا۔ 🤔 pic.twitter.com/g0vaFzFHA5 — Husain Haqqani (@husainhaqqani) March 22, 2023 × This prompted strong reactions from the adviser to the PTI chairman on overseas affairs, Atif Khan, who then publicly acknowledged the contract. “What we are paying the firm, does not come from Pakistan. It’s our money that we are spending to protect Imran Khan,” he wrote. “The firm will help us in making Americans aware of the threat to Khan’s life,” he told Dawn. The need to hire a lobbying firm to repair relations between Khan and the Biden administration marks a departure from the party’s previous policy where Washington has been blamed for the cricketer-turned-politician’s ouster from the government in April last year. With this, the PTI hopes to win over the sympathies for the former prime minister in Washington where he is believed to be unpopular. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Pakistan: Imran Khan’s party PTI hires US lobbying firm to win over Washington pessimists

Google disclosed in a quarterly filing on Tuesday that it spent a company-record $21.2 million on lobbying the US government in 2018, topping its previous high of $18.22 million in 2012, as the search engine operator fights wide-ranging scrutiny into its practices.

In its filing to Congress on Tuesday, Facebook&nbsp;disclosed that it also spent more on government lobbying in 2018 than it ever had before at $12.62 million.

That was up from $11.51 million a year ago, according to tracking by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

Google's spent $18.04 million on lobbying in 2017, according to the centre's data.

Google and Facebook declined to comment beyond their filings.

US lawmakers and regulators have weighed new privacy and antitrust rules to rein in the power of large internet service providers such as Google, Facebook and Amazon. Regulatory backlash in the United States, as well as Europe and Asia, is near the top of the list of concerns for technology investors, according to financial analysts.

Microsoft Corp spent $9.52 million on lobbying in 2018, according to its disclosure on Tuesday, up from $8.5 million in 2017 but below it's $10.5 million tabs in 2013.

Apple Inc spent $6.62 million last year, compared to its record of $7.15 million in 2017, according to centre data going back to 1998.

Apple and Microsoft did not respond to requests to comment. A filing from Amazon was expected later on Tuesday.

Google disclosed that new discussion topics with regulators in the fourth quarter included its search technology, criminal justice reform and international tax reform. The company is perennially among the top spenders on lobbying in Washington along with a few cable operators, defence contractors and healthcare firms.

Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai, who testified in December before a US House of Representatives panel for the first time, has said the company backs the idea of national privacy legislation. But he has contested accusations of the company having a political bias in its search results and of stifling competition.

Susan Molinari, Google's top US public policy official, stepped down to take on an advisory role this month.

Facebook said discussing "election integrity" with national security officials was among its new lobbying areas in the fourth quarter. The filing said the company continued to lobby the Federal Trade Commission, which is investigating its data security practices.

Google disclosed in a quarterly filing on Tuesday that it spent a company-record $21.2 million on lobbying the US government in 2018, topping its previous high of $18.

Google disclosed in a quarterly filing on Tuesday that it spent a company-record $21.2 million on lobbying the US government in 2018, topping its previous high of $18.22 million in 2012, as the search engine operator fights wide-ranging scrutiny into its practices. In its filing to Congress on Tuesday, Facebook disclosed that it also spent more on government lobbying in 2018 than it ever had before at $12.62 million. That was up from $11.51 million a year ago, according to tracking by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. Google's spent $18.04 million on lobbying in 2017, according to the centre's data. Google and Facebook declined to comment beyond their filings. US lawmakers and regulators have weighed new privacy and antitrust rules to rein in the power of large internet service providers such as Google, Facebook and Amazon. Regulatory backlash in the United States, as well as Europe and Asia, is near the top of the list of concerns for technology investors, according to financial analysts. Microsoft Corp spent $9.52 million on lobbying in 2018, according to its disclosure on Tuesday, up from $8.5 million in 2017 but below it's $10.5 million tabs in 2013. Apple Inc spent $6.62 million last year, compared to its record of $7.15 million in 2017, according to centre data going back to 1998. Apple and Microsoft did not respond to requests to comment. A filing from Amazon was expected later on Tuesday. Google disclosed that new discussion topics with regulators in the fourth quarter included its search technology, criminal justice reform and international tax reform. The company is perennially among the top spenders on lobbying in Washington along with a few cable operators, defence contractors and healthcare firms. Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai, who testified in December before a US House of Representatives panel for the first time, has said the company backs the idea of national privacy legislation. But he has contested accusations of the company having a political bias in its search results and of stifling competition. Susan Molinari, Google's top US public policy official, stepped down to take on an advisory role this month. Facebook said discussing "election integrity" with national security officials was among its new lobbying areas in the fourth quarter. The filing said the company continued to lobby the Federal Trade Commission, which is investigating its data security practices.

Google, Facebook spend big on US lobbying amid policy battles

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Pakistan: Imran Khan’s party PTI hires US lobbying firm to win over Washington pessimists

Google, Facebook spend big on US lobbying amid policy battles