News Desk |
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Qatar Airways Akbar Al Baker has met the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan in Doha during his transit flight to Washington, according to media reports on Saturday.
PM Imran Khan is travelling with a small delegation to the United States for his maiden US state trip to meet the 44th US President, Donald J. Trump at the White House in Washington, DC.
The airline was named ‘World’s Best Business Class’ by the 2018 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax.
PM is reportedly accompanied by his Advisor on Commerce Abdul Razzaq Dawood, his Special Assistant on Overseas Zulfi Bukhari and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa for a three-day visit to the US.
PM Imran Khan and President Trump will head delegation-level talks to discuss bilateral, regional and international issues according to a statement given by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to the media reporters in Washington.
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FM Qureshi, who is already in Washington as part of the delegation, has further stated that the bilateral ties between Pakistan and US are expected to move beyond Afghan-centered partnership in an attempt to reset relations between the two countries.
He further added that PM Imran Khan would hold talks with US President on Monday at the official Presidential residence to highlight several points of convergence that could potentially benefit both sides.
PM Imran Khan flying to the US via Qatar Airways
Earlier, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Naeemul Haq said PM Imran Khan will fly to Washington by Qatar Airways. The close aide to the premier made this announcement on Twitter ahead of Imran Khan’s key visit to the United States.
Qatar Airways Akbar Al Baker has met the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan in Doha during his transit flight to Washington, according to media reports on Saturday.
It is believed that the decision to take the commercial flight to the US is an attempt to save tax-payer money spent the foreign trip.
Last week, PM Imran Khan while addressing the cabinet ministers had said that the former government functionaries enjoyed luxurious foreign visits on tax-payers money but the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government will hold them accountable for every spent penny.
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The ministers were briefed on the expenses incurred during the foreign trips. It was told that during the Pakistan Muslim League (N) government as much as Rs84 billion on foreign state tours, while Rs1.42 billion was spent on former president Asif Ali Zardari’s tours.
Qatar Airways operations in Pakistan
Qatar Airways is the flag carrier of Qatar, and operates flights to more than 87 countries on every inhabited continent. The airline has 68 weekly flights to Pakistan, including 14 flights to Karachi, 14 Flights to Islamabad, 14 flights to Lahore and 7 weekly flights to Peshawar, Sialkot & Multan, and 5 weekly flights to Faisalabad.
The close aide to the premier made this announcement on Twitter ahead of Imran Khan’s key visit to the United States.
It is one of the fastest-growing airlines operating one of the youngest and modern fleets in the world, with more than 200 aircraft flying to business and leisure destinations across six continents.
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The airline was named ‘World’s Best Business Class’ by the 2018 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Business Class Seat’, ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, and ‘World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge’.
Due to the diplomatic crisis in the region, Qatar Airways aircraft are prohibited from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and United Arab Emirates airspace.