A high-level delegation led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid a two-day official visit to the State of Qatar. During his meeting with his Qatari Counterpart, the Prime Minister lauded Qatar’s rapid economic development under the visionary leadership of Qatar’s Emir and reiterated that Pakistan attaches high importance to its relations with Qatar and wants to transform the traditionally warm political ties between the two countries into a comprehensive economic partnership. Prime Minister Shahbaz also met with the senior Qatari leadership and officials of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), a Qatari state-owned one of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world. The Prime Minister highlighted Pakistan’s liberal and business-friendly investment policies and invited Qatari investors to invest in livestock, maritime, tourism, hospitality sectors, and other potential avenues of bilateral cooperation. He underlined Pakistan’s unique geographic and demographic advantages, which combined its strategic location with a huge middle-class market and a large skilled workforce. He also urged the Qatari investors to explore the opportunities offered by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) aimed at promoting regional connectivity and mutual prosperity and assured full facilitation to the QIA through transparent and expeditious processes.
Pakistan and the State of Qatar are two brotherly Muslim countries that are tied in multiple bonds of religion, culture, trade, defense, security, and people-to-people ties. Both nations had enjoyed cordial multifaceted bilateral relations over the past seven decades while Qatar is home to over 200,000 Pakistani workers, who are actively contributing to the progress, economic development, and prosperity of both countries.
The first maiden visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to the State of Qatar has great importance in respect of setting a new foundation for a deep and long-term bilateral relationship between the two countries. During the visit, PM Shehbaz also visited Stadium 794 in Doha, where the upcoming FIFA World Cup tournament will be organized in the coming months. Furthermore, Pakistan and Qatar have struck a deal under which Pakistan will provide military troops and Intelligence cooperation to Qatar during the hosting of the world’s most important and highly exciting football contest in November this year.
Both nations also agreed to enhance their cooperation in various domains including trade and investment, renewable energy, defense and security, Information Technology and aviation, while two focal persons on both sides would be designated for close follow-up on the key proposals for investments.
Presently, Pakistan is eyeing to forge a long-term strategic partnership with Qatar to boost bilateral trade, direct investments, and deposits, employment of Pakistani skilled manpower, defense and security, and cooperation in aviation Sectors. Both nations have tremendous potential for bilateral cooperation in multiple domains which merits continuous attention of the leadership of both nations. The experts hope that the recent visit of Prime Minister Sharif will be instrumental in enhancing foreign investment and would further cement the bilateral ties between the two countries.
Although the coalition government is taking all-out efforts to re-energize Pakistan’s relationship with its time-tested friends and Prime Minister Shehbaz has initiated a campaign to visit various countries with an aim to attract foreign investment and boost bilateral trade in a bid to bring economic stability to the country. In fact, the government should work to forge a long-term strategic partnership with friendly nations like Qatar to build a sustainable economy instead of using ad-hoc measures for temporary gains.
