Qatar | Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Qatar are in an advanced stage of discussions for the supply of at least four cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which could pass through the Strait of Hormuz, sources told Dawn on Sunday. They also said that after facing criticism over loadshedding even before the start of summer, the Power Division had already placed an order to the Petroleum Division for arranging around 400 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for power generation. LNG imports to Pakistan were disrupted early last month after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid a war in the Middle East, which began with US-Israel attacks on Iran. In retaliatory action, Iran targeted fuel installations in some of the Gulf countries that had US assets and bases. It was against this backdrop that Qatar declared force majeure early last month in all its global LNG contracts, including those with Pakistan. Sources told Dawn that due to the resultant fuel and electricity shortfall, the Power Divisio...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday attended a trilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatar’s Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Türkiye on Thursday following the completion of his visit to Qatar, as he begins a new leg of his regional engagements.

Shehbaz Sharif is set to embark on a four-day official visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey from Wednesday, as Pakistan intensifies diplomatic engagement ahead of a possible second round of US-Iran peace talks.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar held separate discussions on Wednesday with Minister of State of Qatar, Dr.

Qatar and Ukraine signed a defence agreement on Saturday, which includes cooperation on countering threats from missiles and drones, the Gulf state’s government said, as Iran presses an aerial campaign against its neighbours. Earlier on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — during a previously unannounced flurry of visits to Gulf nations — said his country and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to cooperate on defence amid drones Iran launches in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes. Ukraine also signed an air defence agreement with Saudi Arabia during Zelensky’s visit to the kingdom, two senior officials told AFP on Friday. Kyiv has sought to leverage its expertise in downing Russian drones to help Gulf nations and has deployed anti-drone experts to all three countries Zelensky has visited during his diplomatic tour. “The agreement includes collaboration in technological fields, development of joint investments and the exchange of expertise in countering missiles and unmanned aerial system...

Qatar expects all Gulf energy producers to shut down exports within weeks if the Iran conflict continues and drives oil to $150 a barrel, the country’s Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi told the Financial Times in an interview published on Friday. Qatar halted its production of liquefied natural gas on Monday, as Iran continued to strike Gulf countries in retaliation for Israeli and US attacks. The country’s LNG production is equivalent to about 20 per cent of global supply and plays a major role in balancing both Asian and European markets’ demand for the fuel. “Everybody who has not called for force majeure we expect will do so in the next few days if this continues. All exporters in the Gulf region will have to call a force majeure,” Kaabi told the FT. “If this war continues for a few weeks, GDP growth around the world will be impacted,” he said. “Everybody’s energy price is going to go higher. There will be shortages of some products and there will be a chain reaction of factories that cannot supply,” Kaabi s...

PM discusses bilateral cooperation with the emir of Qatar

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Qatar on Tuesday underscored the importance of enhancing cooperation in all areas of mutual interest.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, saying that the two countries would continue to work together for peace and stability in the region and beyond. In a post on X, he described the meeting in Doha as “excellent”. The premier is currently in Qatar on an official visit. PM Shehbaz stated that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir were also present for the meeting. “Our most warm and productive discussions focused on how our two sides can advance our brotherly fraternal bonds and transform them into mutually beneficial economic relationships,” he said. “We also took stock of the regional situation. Pakistan and Qatar will continue to work together for peace and stability in the region and beyond,” he said. Meanwhile, a handout issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said the two leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and reaffirmed their shared commitment to fur...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reached Qatar on Monday night on a two-day official visit, state-run PTV News reported. He was received by Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Muhammad bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Qatar Muhammad Aamer and other diplomatic staff at King Hammad International Airport, a post by PTV News on social media platform X said. The premier is accompanied by Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and his aide, Tariq Fatemi, according to the post. Earlier, the Foreign Office (FO) said the premier would meet the Qatari emir during the visit. The visit is being undertaken at the invitation of Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the FO said in a press release. During his visit, PM Shehbaz will hold a bilateral meeting with Sheikh Tamim, “covering the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, including political engagement, economic collaboration, energy partnership, and people-to-people exchanges”, the FO added. “The...

Shehbaz Sharif landed in Doha on Monday for a two-day official trip aimed at reinforcing Pakistan’s bilateral relationship with Qatar.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to Qatar from February 23 to 24, 2026, at the invitation of the Amir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Pakistan and Qatar have reiterated their commitment to further strengthen their long-standing fraternal ties during a telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Qatar said on Wednesday precautionary measures had been taken at the US-run Al Udeid Air Base, including the departure of some personnel, because of rising regional tensions, according to its International Media Office. The office said the steps were part of broader efforts to safeguard the security of citizens and residents and to protect critical infrastructure and military facilities, adding that any further developments would be announced through official channels. The development came as the US-based Wall Street Journal and CBS reported that the American military was evacuating some personnel from the air base as a precaution. Earlier, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran had warned its neighbouring countries hosting US troops that it would retaliate against American bases if Washington carried out threats to intervene in protests in Iran. The protest movement across Iran, initially sparked by economic grievances, has turned into one of the biggest challenges yet to the leadership since it ...

Snow unexpectedly blanketed several regions across Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Wednesday and Thursday, with cold weather and heavy rain hitting several cities and other parts of the Kingdom, Arab News and Khaleej Times reported on Thursday. According to Khaleej Times, a period of low-pressure systems in the Middle East has brought heavy rainfall over the last week. Conditions were forecast to intensify on Thursday, with thunderstorms expected to hit the region. The storm was then forecast to move eastwards towards the UAE and Qatar by night, it added, citing BBC Weather. Khaleej Times reported that large areas of Qatar had also been covered by snowfall already, sharing a video of the landscape. View this post on Instagram In Saudi Arabia, snow and light rainfall were experienced in Trojena, a mountain destination for hiking and skiing located on Jebel Al-Lawz in the province of Tabuk that reaches up to 2,600 metres, according to Arab News. Additionally, light to moderate rain was experienced in Bir Bin Hermas, ...

Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi has extended warm congratulations to His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar, the Royal Family, and the people of Qatar on the occasion of Qatar’s National Day, lauding the country’s remarkable progress and visionary leadership.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif held a meeting with Qatar’s Military Attaché, Brigadier General Abdulhadi Mohammed Arhaib Al-Hajri, to discuss bilateral relations and issues of shared interest, with a particular focus on defence collaboration.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Monday signed a deal to construct a high-speed rail connecting the Gulf countries’ capitals, marking the latest sign of improved ties between the two nations that were once deeply at odds. According to a statement in the official Saudi press, the “high-speed electric passenger railway” would connect Riyadh and Doha. The Saudi cities of Al-Hofuf and Dammam are also expected to be on the network. The train would reach speeds exceeding 300 kilometres per hour and the trip would take roughly two hours between the two capitals. A direct flight between the cities clocks in at around 90 minutes. The project, set to be completed in six years, expects to serve 10 million passengers per year, the statement said. The agreement was signed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani during the latter’s visit to Riyadh. The deal is just the latest in a series of moves marking the dramatic improvement in ties between the Gulf countries in recent years....

The nearly two-month-old ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will not be complete until Israeli troops withdraw from the Palestinian territory under a peace plan backed by Washington and the United Nations, mediator Qatar’s prime minister said on Saturday. “Now we are at the critical moment … A ceasefire cannot be completed unless there is a full withdrawal of the Israeli forces, [and] there is stability back in Gaza,” Qatari premier Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told the Doha Forum, an annual diplomatic conference in the Gulf state’s capital. Qatar, alongside the United States and Egypt, helped secure the long-elusive truce in Gaza, which came into effect on October 10 and has mostly halted two years of fighting between Israel and Hamas. Under a second phase of the deal, which has yet to begin, Israel is to withdraw from its positions in the territory, an interim authority is to take over governance, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be deployed. Arab and Muslim nations have been hesita...