News Desk |
Prime Minister Imran Khan has sought an economic assistance package from Qatar which includes revision of LNG price and its supply on deferred payment. PM Khan concluded his two-day visit to Doha on Tuesday after meeting Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Prime Minister Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Qatari business community, and addressing a large gathering of expat Pakistanis in Doha.
Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani welcomed PM Khan at Diwan-i-Amiri where a formal ceremony was held in PM Khan’s honour. A contingent of Qatari Amiri Guards presented the guard of honour where anthems of both the countries were played. A one-to-one meeting was held between Prime Minister Khan and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim. They discussed the entire spectrum of bilateral ties and regional and international matters of mutual interest. The two sides also held delegation-level talks.
“The time is not far away when people will come to Pakistan for jobs,” he claimed by assuring participants of the public gathering that people would soon get fruits of sagacious policies of the government.
The Pakistani side asked the Qatari government to reduce the price of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and make its supplies on deferred payments under the existing 15-year supply contract. Presently Pakistan’s LNG import bill is said to be $4 billion per year. It is important that the PTI government has already secured economic assistance packages from both Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The emir of Qatar hosted a lunch for the prime minister and the members of his delegation.
PM Khan also met Chairman of the Qatar Businessmen Association (QBA) Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim bin Faisal Al-Thani and Hussain Alfardan. The QBA chairman conveyed the interest of Qatari businessmen in investing in hospitality, large-scale manufacturing, transportation and food production in Pakistan.
The PM also met Hassan Al-Thawadi, secretary general of the Supreme Committee of Delivery and Legacy, who briefed the prime minister on FIFA 2022 World Cup preparations. He promised to focus on encouraging skilled manpower import from Pakistan.
Read more: PM Khan embarks on two day visit to Qatar
Sheikh Nawaf Bin Nasser Bin Khaled Al-Thani, a representative of the NBK group, also called on the prime minister. The prime minister also met a delegation of the Qatar Chamber of Commerce led by Sheikh Khalifa Bin Jassim Bin Mohammed Al-Thani and including leading importers of the Gulf state. They discussed increasing imports from Pakistan to Qatar.
PM Addresses Expat Pakistani
PM Khan also addressed a large gathering of Pakistani community at Al Wakara Stadium in Doha on Tuesday. “I am happy to address overseas Pakistanis in my first public gathering after becoming prime minister,” Khan said.
Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan Speech to the Pakistani Community at Al Wakrah Stadium Doha Qatar (22.01.19)#PMIKVisitsQatar 1/3 @ImranKhanPTI pic.twitter.com/neWcroxm1T
— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 22, 2019
The prime minister did not miss an opportunity to criticize previous rulers of the country saying they had looted the country with both hands. The prime minister said he had met a number of foreign investors and heads of renowned firms who had wanted to invest in Pakistan but could not do so due to “corruption” and “complicated” tax regime. “Now we have reduced the number of taxes from 36 to 16 and as far as corruption is concerned, you should not be worried about it. Not a single scandal of the incumbent government has come to fore in its first five months.”
Read more: Qatari Emir invited to GCC summit despite tensions with KSA
Terming overseas Pakistanis “backbone” of the country, he said Pakistan was running because of remittances being sent by expatriate Pakistanis. “The time is not far away when people will come to Pakistan for jobs,” he claimed by assuring participants of the public gathering that people would soon get fruits of sagacious policies of the government.