Pak-Qatar relations

August 2022 when the host country was makinghistorically hectic preparations for hosting FIFA World Cup 2022during which Pakistan Army contingent provided security assistance and in which footballs manufacturedby sports goods manufacturersof Sialkot were officially used to the great appreciation ofall participating teamsbesides the host country.

This was indeeda matter of honor and pride for the people of Pakistan. The prime ministerhad paid his first visit toQatarat the invitationof emir of Qatar Sheikh hamad bin Khalifa Al Thaniand the two leaders had an in depth meeting in which they exchanged views of matters of bilateral, regional and international concernsand issues and measures to further strengthenbilateral relations between the two brother countries for their mutual benefit.

The second visit took place in the first week of March 2023. The prime ministervisitedQatar toattend the 5th UN World Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC)at the invitation of emir of QatarTamim bin hamad Al Thani who was host to the international moot.

The prime ministerheld fruitful and productive meeting with emir of Qatar on the sidelines of the 5th UN least Developed Countries Conference in Doha. The prime minister toldthehost emir of Qatar that Qatar’s support for Pakistan uplift initiatives is duly valued and appreciated by the people as well as the government of Pakistan.

Shehbaz Sharif and expressed his keen interest in enhancingeconomic ties between the two brotherly countries. On the occasion, the visiting Pakistani leader invited the emir of Qatar tovisit Pakistan at the earliest on his convenience. The host ruler of Qatar accepted the invitation with great pleasure.

The prime minister held fruitful and productive meeting with Emir of Qatar on the sidelines of the 5th UN least Developed Countries Conference in Doha. The prime minister told the host Emir of Qatar that Qatar’s support for Pakistan uplift initiatives is duly valued and appreciated by the people as well as the government of Pakistan.

Addressing the Conference, PM Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan was committedto implement Doha Programme of Action considering itas an opportunityfor acceleratingsustainable prosperityin the least developed countries, partnershipof the LDCs with the developednations as well with the private sector and civil societywasquite significant for global; prosperity at large. During his stay in Doha, the prime minister also held a fruitful meeting with Chief executive Officer (CeO) of Qatar InvestmentAuthority (QIA) Mansoorebrahim AlMahmoud. On the occasion, various proposals were discussed relating todifferent sectorsof Pakistan’s economy. The CeO of QIA expressed his keen interest for his country’s investment in LNG powerplants, airports and power parks in Pakistan. This was the second meeting between the two, the first one was held during the PM’s first visit to Qatar. It is worth mentioning here that the relations betweenthe two brotherly countries have over the yearsseen a steadyand positive upward trajectory.

hancement ofeconomic cooperationin diverse fields of mutualinterest.

Over the years,Qatar has been extendingmultifield support and assistance to Pakistan in an unrelenting manner. Both the countrieshave a rich history of mutual cooperationin the bilateral domain as well as on multilateral forms, ties between Pakistan and Qatar were rooted deeplyin the shared faith, mutual understanding and convergence of interests. Relationship between the two brotherly countries, to say the least, is quite appreciably based on mutual trust and shared goal of achieving prosperity for their people, have hadexcellent cooperationin various fields including energy, manpower export and people to people linkages in the past and quiteobviously therewas great potentialas well as opportunitiesfortransforming theseinto more robust and mutually beneficial partnership by exploring new ventures of cooperation in sectors like renewable energy, food security, industrial and infrastructuredevelopment and hospitality besides striking another deal for lengthy for supply of LNG at affordable pricesas Qatar has huge reservesof Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) following the prime minister’s two visits to Qatar in just eight months.

There is a lot more which can be said about the most brotherly and mutually beneficial relations between Qatar and Pakistan and frequent exchange of contacts at the highest levelof emir of Qatar and Prime Minister of Pakistanbut for want of space, these would be dilated upon some other time, please.

The two leadersheld free and franktalks on a wide range of issuesand discussedways to further enhanceexcellent cooperationin economic and investment areas. The emir of Qatar on his part welcomed PM

Following the prime minister’s two visits to the Gulf state, the two countriesnow apparently are keen to transform these historical and fraternal bilateral relations into a morerobuststrategic relationship through the en-