WASHINGTON: Just how low is Pakistan's stock in the United States? Try this: A top Washington lobby firm has withdrawn from its contract with Islamabad after the declaration of martial law in the country.The firm, Cassidy and Associates, had in October signed a $ 1.2 million deal with Pakistan to to promote its status as an "important strategic partner of the US" The Pakistan account was to be handled by Robin Raphel, a former assistant secretary of state for South Asia (1993 to 1997) who recently joined Cassidy as a senior vice-president.
Raphel, who was the head of the South Asia bureau after it was formed in the early years of the Clinton administration, was widely seen as being sympathetic to Islamabad as the region's pointperson.
But earlier this week, Cassidy ditched the contract. "Recent developments in Pakistan have made it difficult to effectively fulfill our mission on behalf of the Embassy of Pakistan," Tom Alexander, director of corporate communications for the firm, said in a statement to the Hill. "These dramatic changes have forced us to most respectfully withdraw our representation of the embassy effective today."
Separately, Raphel told Pakistan's Daily Times that "Developments have regrettably made it necessary to withdraw because under the circumstances we cannot do what we agreed to do. I do hope things will take a turn for the better in Pakistan soon."
Considering Washington's lobbying firms represent some of the most odious regimes across the world, it can't get worse for Gen.Musharraf. He is also being panned daily in the media, and in a new low, one law-maker referred to him as a "thug" at a Congressional hearing on Wednesday.
But unmindful of the dictator's falling stock and despite growing doubts about his role and effectiveness in the war on terrorism, the Bush administration continues to support him.
Critics are now pointing out that notwithstanding the administration's certification of his frontline role in the war on terror, Pakistan has now ceded vast chunks of territory to the Taliban and Musharraf's para-military forces are now in retreat.
Earlier this week, President Bush virtually endorsed his continuation as President as long as he doffed his uniform, even though the Pakistani courts are yet to decide on the validity of his election.