Analysis: With polls on the horizon, US steps up political contacts.

CONTACTS between visitors from the United States and political parties in Pakistan have definitely picked up pace, as the country inches closer to general elections. Last month, a US congressional delegation led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer visited Pakistan to discuss the 'broad-based partnership' between the two countries.

After that, PTI Vice President Fawad Chaudhry met US Ambassador Donald Blome and apprised him of the 'worsening human rights situation' in the country.

Then, just last week, a delegation of lawmakers from the California assembly met PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

Sources say this engagement is the result of hectic lobbying by PTI representatives in the US, especially in areas such as California, Texas and Illinois (there is a sizable Pakistani presence in Houston and Chicago). Since their government's ouster, PTI leaders, particularly those from Houston, have been hosting US lawmakers as part of their campaign to convince Americans that neither Mr Khan nor his party are against the US.

In August 2022, PTI hired a PR firm, Fenton-Arnook, to improve its image in the US, although the PTI chairman's focal person for the US Sajjad Burki clarified that the firm would not lobby for the party.

'This is an agreement between a PR firm, not a lobbyist, and a group of US citizens,' Mr Burki told Dawn. 'We are not lobbying for PTI Pakistan, and certainly not within the US administration.'

Last year, Mr Burki and his colleagues travelled from Houston to Washington to attend a fundraiser a Pakistani physician in Maryland hosted for the Karachi-born Senator, Chris Van Hollen, and contributed generously.

PTI leaders from Virginia, Maryland and New York are also involved in the campaign to rebuild PTI's image.

This seems to be a departure from the status quo that prevailed until late last year, when engagements between the two sides were mostly limited to state functionaries. Now, it seems that both government and opposition parties are entertaining everyone from congressional delegations to the US ambassador and his staff.

In the immediate aftermath of the PTI government' ouster, Washington became very cautious in the way that it conducted its diplomacy with Pakistan. This coincided with Imran Khan's accusations of a US-backed conspiracy for his ouster, and as a result, the American response to any question about the political situation in Pakistan became quite formulaic.

'The US does not have a position on one political candidate...