PNN: Pakistan and Qatar on Tuesday underscored the importance of enhancing cooperation in all areas of mutual interest.
This came at a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of the Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir were also present during the meeting.
The two leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and reaffirmed their shared commitment to further strengthening the longstanding fraternal ties between Pakistan and Qatar. They expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of political engagement.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani reiterated Qatar’s commitment to a deepening economic partnership to a higher strategic level.
The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and international developments of mutual interest, emphasising the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and peaceful resolution of disputes.
They reaffirmed their support for closer cooperation within multilateral fora and agreed to maintain close coordination on key regional issues. The visit reflects the shared resolve of Pakistan and Qatar to further solidify their robust partnership and translate their strong political ties into tangible economic outcomes.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated his invitation to the Amir of Qatar to undertake a visit to Pakistan which he happily accepted. The visit shall take place later this year.
Pakistan and Qatar on Tuesday reaffirmed shared commitment to further strengthen their strategic partnership and to remain engaged and in-contact on bilateral, regional and international current issues.
The resolve was expressed during a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani in Doha.
The two leaders held discussions on bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international developments.
They reaffirmed the strong fraternal ties between Pakistan and Qatar and expressed satisfaction over the growing momentum in political, economic and institutional engagement. Regional issues, including developments in Gaza and broader Gulf security dynamics, were also discussed.
The prime minister appreciated Qatar’s constructive diplomatic efforts in promoting dialogue and de-escalation in the region.
Both the leaders underscored the importance of peaceful resolution of disputes and adherence to international law including the UN charter.
The discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in trade and investment, energy, defence, labour mobility and cultural collaboration and joint task force of both countries mandated to accelerate the cooperation in all these areas.
Both the sides emphasised the importance of implementing decisions taken during recent high-level engagements and institutional mechanisms, including the Joint Ministerial Commission and Bilateral Political Consultations.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of the Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi were also present.
Separately, PM Shehbaz Sharif and Qatar’s Deputy PM Sheikh Saoud Al-Thani on Tuesday discussed the situation in Afghanistan and called for dialogue to promote regional stability during high-level talks held in Doha, Sharif’s office said.
The development comes amid renewed tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan after Islamabad conducted airstrikes on what it said were Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) targets in Afghanistan last week. Kabul said the strikes killed civilians and vowed to respond to the violation of its sovereignty.
During their meeting in Doha, PM Sharif and Qatari Deputy PM Sheikh Saoud Al-Thani, who is also the state minister for defense affairs, discussed defense and security relations between the two countries, according to Sharif’s office.
“Regional developments were also discussed, in particular the situation in Iran and Afghanistan,” PM Sharif’s office said in a statement. “Both sides emphasised the importance of dialogue, de-escalation and collective efforts to promote peace and stability in the region.”
Trade and economic cooperation:
Qatar’s Minister of State on Foreign Trade and Chairman of Pak-Qatar Joint business taskforce, Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed, called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Doha. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed bilateral trade and economic cooperation and expressed satisfaction over the growing momentum in Pakistan–Qatar relations.
The prime minister emphasised the importance of enhancing bilateral trade volumes and diversifying Pakistan’s exports to Qatar, particularly in agricultural products, food items and value-added goods.
Both sides discussed follow-up to the 6th Session of the Pakistan-Qatar Joint Ministerial Commission and reaffirmed their commitment to implementing agreed decisions.
The prime minister also highlighted Pakistan’s investment-friendly reforms and the role of the Special Investment Facilitation Council, in facilitating foreign investment.
Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed reiterated Qatar’s interest in expanding economic cooperation and strengthening private-sector and business linkages between the two countries. The two sides also agreed to convene a meeting of the task force comprising relevant officials of both countries, within the month of Ramadan, to discuss concrete investment proposals for Qatari investment in Pakistan. The meeting underscored the shared resolve to further deepen trade, investment and industrial collaboration between Pakistan and Qatar.
PM Shehbaz invites Qatari investors:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday invited Qatari businessmen to explore opportunities in infrastructure, logistics, energy, agriculture, technology and export-oriented manufacturing in Pakistan.
He was talking to a delegation of the Qatar Businessmen Association (QBA), led by its chairman Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, in Doha.
Welcoming the delegation, the Prime Minister appreciated the constructive role played by the Qatar Businessmen Association in strengthening economic and commercial linkages between Pakistan and Qatar. He underscored that Pakistan attaches high importance to private-sector-led engagement as a key pillar of the bilateral partnership.
Shehbaz Sharif highlighted Pakistan’s improving macroeconomic indicators and reform measures introduced to facilitate foreign investment. He emphasized the role of the Special Investment Facilitation Council as a one-window platform to ensure transparency, efficiency and timely decision-making for investors.
Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani expressed interest in enhancing business-to-business cooperation and exploring investment opportunities in Pakistan.
Both sides agreed to maintain close engagement, including during the upcoming visit of the taskforce on Pak-Qatar investment to Doha later this month, as well as hosting of business forums, to translate discussions into concrete economic partnerships.
Both sides agreed to undertake special efforts to facilitate linkages between the businesses and entrepreneurs of both the countries so that business to business relations between Pakistan and Qatar can be enhanced.
The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of Pakistan and Qatar to further expand trade and investment ties through strengthened collaboration between their respective private sectors.