PM Khan discusses economic cooperation with Qatari counterpart

Published January 21, 2019
Bilateral relations, with a focus on economic cooperation, were discussed during the meeting. —PID
Bilateral relations, with a focus on economic cooperation, were discussed during the meeting. —PID
PM Imran Khan at Emiri Lounge with Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi. —APP
PM Imran Khan at Emiri Lounge with Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi. —APP
PM Imran Khan received by Minister of Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi. —APP
PM Imran Khan received by Minister of Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi. —APP
PM Imran Khan meets Qatar's PM Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani at his residence. —APP
PM Imran Khan meets Qatar's PM Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani at his residence. —APP

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday met his Qatari counterpart Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani in Doha, Radio Pakistan reported.

Bilateral relations, with a focus on economic cooperation between the two countries, were discussed during the meeting. The Qatari premier also hosted a dinner in the honour of the visiting delegation.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Finance Minister Asad Umar, Petroleum Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Adviser to PM Abdul Razak Dawood, Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari, Board of Investment Chairman Haroon Sharif, Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua, Ambassador of Pakistan to Qatar Syed Ahsan Raza Shah were also present during the meeting.

Earlier in the day, Imran Khan reached Qatar on a two-day visit at the invitation of the country's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

Upon their arrival, the delegation was received by Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Soltan bin Saad al-Muraikhi at the airport.

The premier is also expected to hold meetings with the Qatari emir discuss matters of mutual interest. According to RadioPakistan, the prime minister will also discuss the matter of exporting labour to Qatar.

In December last year, Qatar had opened a visa facilitation centre in Islamabad for swift processing of visas of members of the Pakistan workforce wishing to work in Qatar. Doha has also promised 100,000 jobs for Pakistani workers, and the government is in talks with the Qatari government to adjust skilled members of the labour force returning from Saudi Arabia.

Last week, Petroleum Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan had also said that the prime minister "may request the Qatar government to provide a credit facility for LNG supplies and revise the prices" during his visit to Doha. Finance Minister Asad Umar and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi have already visited Doha one after another in recent weeks and are understood to have put the matter on the table, according to Sarwar.

Follow Dawn Business on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for insights on business, finance and tech from Pakistan and across the world.

Opinion

Editorial

Delayed bailout
Updated 10 Sep, 2024

Delayed bailout

Dar’s tirade against IMF will likely add to existing uncertainties around the early disbursement of fresh funds.
PTI protest
10 Sep, 2024

PTI protest

IT seems that despite the federal government’s best efforts to sabotage the event, the PTI managed to pull off a...
Superbug threat
Updated 10 Sep, 2024

Superbug threat

THE global superbug crisis — the rise of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics — is a ticking time bomb. A...
More ‘austerity’
Updated 09 Sep, 2024

More ‘austerity’

Reducing the number of federal employees will not make much difference without wide-ranging reforms to cut perks of higher bureaucracy.
Plastic menace
09 Sep, 2024

Plastic menace

South Asian countries must put aside political hostilities and work together to tackle the shared environmental threat of plastic pollution.
Paralympics feat
09 Sep, 2024

Paralympics feat

Haider Ali must be celebrated and supported for he has, on his own, given Pakistan a spot on the medals table.