ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Tuesday Qatar had agreed to elevate bilateral economic cooperation to a “higher strategic level” during talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
The meeting with Qatar’s head of state marked the highest-level engagement of Sharif’s visit and comes as Islamabad seeks to attract Gulf investment to support economic stabilization under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program while coordinating with regional partners on rising security tensions.
Qatar is a key economic partner for Pakistan, hosting nearly 300,000 Pakistani workers and previously announcing plans to invest $3 billion in sectors including transport, aviation, energy, health, media and technology. The two countries also maintain defense cooperation and structured political and business dialogues.
“His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani reiterated Qatar’s commitment to a deepening economic partnership to a higher strategic level,” Sharif’s office said in the statement.
According to the statement, the two leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening longstanding ties.
