ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Qatar have agreed to further strengthen cooperation in the fight against narcotics.
The understanding was reached during a meeting between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Ambassador of Qatar Ali Mubarak Ali Essa Al-Khater in Islamabad on Thursday.
Both sides discussed matters of mutual interest, bilateral relations, and enhancing cooperation in various fields. They also discussed the release of Pakistani nationals, imprisoned in Qatar.
The foreign ministry in a report presented before the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights last year said 23,456 Pakistanis were being held in jails abroad including 338 in Qatar.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that Pakistan has very close relations with Qatar, adding that he will visit Qatar soon and meet his counterpart.
He highlighted that a conference of Gulf countries on Narcotics control is being held in Islamabad in April, and the head of Qatar’s drug control department has been invited to attend this conference.
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He emphasised the importance of close cooperation with friendly countries in combating narcotics.
The Qatari Ambassador on the occasion extended an invitation to Mohsin Naqvi to visit Qatar. The Ambassador said Pakistan is a brotherly Islamic country and Qatar attaches great importance to the bilateral ties with Pakistan.
Qatar is a key trade partner of Pakistan within the GCC region and a significant supplier of LNG to the country. Approximately 300,000 Pakistanis live in Qatar, working across various industries such as construction, transportation, healthcare, education, engineering, finance, and public service.
During his visit to Doha last year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that Qatar would invest $3 billion in Pakistan, spanning sectors like trade, investment, and culture.
