Tag: Qatar

  • Pakistan, Qatar agree to enhance bilateral trade volume

    In order to enhance bilateral trade, Pakistan and Qatar have agreed in principle on a preferential trade agreement (PTA) and a free trade agreement (FTA), The Express Tribune has reported, adding that the agreements would soon be signed after necessary formalities.

    Pakistan has also offered to establish a plant in Qatar to manufacture footballs for the FIFA World Cup 2022 as well as subsequent football tournaments.

    Nebras Power, a major investment group in Qatar’s energy sector, has expressed an interest in investing directly in Pakistan’s power sector.

    The Nebras Power Consortium will take part in the privatisation of the Haveli Bahadur Shah and Balloki power plants in Pakistan.

    It has formally informed the Pakistani government about its interest and hoped that it would promote direct cooperation between the two governments in the fields of energy and power generation.

    According to a document, Pakistan’s commerce and energy ministries attended the 5th Pak Qatar Joint Ministerial Commission meeting in Qatar last month.

    A copy of the minutes issued by the signatories of the two countries was sent to the respective ministries for implementation of the decisions made by the two countries.

    Pakistan has expressed an interest in exporting sports goods for the FIFA World Cup 2022. Qatar has welcomed Pakistan’s interest and said it would consider its goods on the basis of price and quality for the mega event.

    The document also read that the Pakistani government had fully endorsed a report sent by the Qatar government to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to recognise its products, including Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and natural gas, as ecofriendly.

    Qatar has also requested additional traffic rights to enhance aviation links with Pakistan. The two countries will consider the matter on a commercial basis.

    The two countries have agreed on an air service agreement in the near future to enhance bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Qatar in other areas of aviation and agreed to hold further meetings during the forthcoming air service talks scheduled to be held in Shi’ar Uqba, Jordan where further progress is expected in this regard.

    According to Qatar’s media, the two-way trade exchange between Qatar and Pakistan reached QR9.5 billion in 2018, witnessing an unprecedented 63pc growth as a result of better ties. The balance of trade is currently skewed in favour of Qatar due to the export of high-valued products to Pakistan. But the South Asian nation is also working aggressively to enhance collaboration in the field of manpower aiming to increase the flow of remittances, which will eventually make the economic relations more balanced.

  • Pakistan offers Qatar security for 2022 FIFA World Cup

    Pakistan offers Qatar security for 2022 FIFA World Cup

    President Arif Alvi has offered Qatar of providing security for the next FIFA World Cup being held in the Gulf country in 2022, stressing that Pakistan had vast experience in that domain, The Express Tribune reported.

    According to the details, talking to Commander of the Qatar Emiri Guard, Maj-Gen Hazzaa Bin Khalil Bin Mansour Al-Shahwani, President Alvi said that a lot of scope existed between the two countries to include defence export and joint production ventures.

    Dr Alvi underscored that having vast experience in the domain of security and the professionalism of its armed forces, “Pakistan can provide Qatar security for Football World Cup 2022″.

    He also emphasised on the need for enhancing the training collaboration and professional interaction between defence forces of the two countries, appreciating the agreement for sale of eight Super Mushak aircraft to Qatar worth $57.74 million in 2016.

    The president urged Qatar to support Pakistan in its endeavours to highlight Indian human rights violations in Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) before the world, and stressed the need for the international community to persuade India to resolve the long withstanding dispute in accordance with United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions.

    “The fascist Indian regime is flagrantly violating the human rights of Kashmiris by revoking the special status of occupied Kashmir and by suspending their civil liberties. The Indian government has adopted a hostile attitude towards all its minorities,” the report quoted Alvi as saying.

    Maj-Gen Al-Shahwani said, “Qatar considered it a religious duty to support Pakistan at all levels”.

    Separately, the Qatari commander also called on army chief General Qamar Bajwa at the GHQ in Rawalpindi, and discussed matters of mutual and professional interest and regional security situation.

  • Former PM Nawaz spotted in his air ambulance

    Former PM Nawaz spotted in his air ambulance

    Ailing former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif, who is currently travelling from Lahore to London for medical treatment, was on Tuesday evening spotted in his air ambulance along with his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif and personal physician Dr Adnan Khan.

    Seven people are travelling with Nawaz, who was granted special permission by the court to seek medical treatment abroad despite his conviction in the Al-Azizia reference case and subsequent jail term. He had earlier been granted bail on humanitarian grounds while he sought treatment at Lahore’s Services Hospital.

    He had been shifted to the hospital from Kot Lakhpat jail after a precarious drop in his platelet count last month and later diagnosed with acute immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), an immune disorder that leads to an abrupt and sharp drop in blood platelet.

    The air ambulance that arrived at 8:45am at Lahore Airport on Tuesday, had Qatar as its first destination, from where it will continue its journey towards London. At least 21 senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders saw off their party supremo from the Hajj Terminal of the Lahore Airport earlier in the day.

    Since Nawaz’s name remains on the Exit Control List (ECL) even after the court allowed him to go abroad for medical treatment, he produced the court order to get past immigration officials. According to reports, his name will remain on the no-fly list as per the law, but his exemption according to the court order was mentioned in the computerised record.

    LHC VERDICT:

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday permitted to remove Nawaz’s name from the ECL without any conditions for a time period of four weeks.

    On Friday, the LHC called the plea admissible regarding the removal of former premier’s name from the ECL on a conditional basis — the government had said it would allow a “one-time permission”, provided Nawaz deposited surety bonds worth Rs7-7.5 billion.

    In its decision, the LHC said that in case Nawaz’s health doesn’t improve then the time-period can be extended, adding that the government officials will be able to contact Nawaz through the Pakistani Embassy.

  • ‘Qatari emir brokering deal for Nawaz, Maryam to leave Pakistan’

    ‘Qatari emir brokering deal for Nawaz, Maryam to leave Pakistan’

    Senior journalist and analyst Arif Nizami has said that Qatar
    is reportedly brokering a deal between the government and former prime minister
    (PM) Nawaz Sharif to secure the latter’s release.

    Speaking to a private media outlet, Nizami said that Qatar was
    an old friend of Pakistan and previously involved in securing Nawaz’s release
    when former military dictator General (r) Pervez Musharraf had arrested him after
    the 1999 coup.

    “When Musharraf came into power and detained Nawaz, the emir
    of Qatar was the first person to initiate the process for his release,” he said.

    Nizami added that up to 90 per cent of the deal had been processed to let the former PM and his daughter Maryam live in London, while sources had informed him that the “recent visit of the emir of Qatar was also linked to this task”.

    Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani had arrived in
    Pakistan earlier this week and announced $3 billion worth of new investments in
    the country. He had also announced that Qatar may invest another $12 billion
    later on.

    “Sources have claimed that Nawaz’s health is not stable and
    according to his daughter Maryam, he has already suffered a stroke thrice,”
    Nizami said further.

    He claimed that under the deal, Nawaz will be allowed to pay the fine to secure his release so that he and his daughter can go and live in England. “Shehbaz and Hamza will stay here to run the party affairs and face cases leveled against them,” Nizami added.