Effectiveness of the Indian Lobby in the United States: Implications for Pakistan

Abstract

In modern times, Lobbying has become an important tool of statecraft. It is carried out mostly by professionals in order to influence political decisions made both within and outside of the country. Lobbyists primarily represent governments, people, and organizations. The efforts frequently result in policy changes, new laws, and, at times, incentives and fines. Lobbying has become legal, whether it is done to target an opponent or to gain favour from other countries. In the United States, it is one of the most extensively utilized strategies by many governments across the globe to seek US favours both economically and militarily, as well as politically, but it is occasionally used to persuade Congress to target a certain country in order to gain political advantage. It is not restricted to nations with national interests but at the same time is utilized by foreign governments as a type of strategy to achieve certain strategic objectives. Although diplomatic lobbying is a very commonly studied phenomenon, its effects on U.S. external relations are rarely considered. In stark contrast to the Westminster democracies established worldwide, the United States has an executive or presidential form of government in which two major institutions are directly involved in the execution of foreign relations, namely the congress and the executive. In the past, Israeli lobbies have been involved in lobbying in the United States to take account of U.S. policies in favor of Israel. In more recent times, India has found lobbying in the US a powerful tool for diplomatic engagement and using it against Pakistan. Indian lobbyists have falsely portrayed Pakistan as a bankrupt, terrorist and troublemaker in the region. Keeping this background in mind, this investigation attempts to examine the role of the Indian lobbyist in creating false and distorted narratives against Pakistan in the US through the lobbyists. The main questions are: What is the role of the Indian lobby in US foreign relations regarding Pakistan? What strategy does the Indian lobby adopt against Pakistan in Washington and ultimately what effect does it have on Pakistan-US relations?