Pakistani Prime Minister Visits Qatar

The Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif has travelled to Qatar.

Mr. Sharif hopes to generate trade and investment for his cash-strapped country.

“I will highlight the exciting investment opportunities in Pakistan’s various sectors such as renewable energy, food security, industrial and infrastructure development, tourism and hospitality,” Sharif said in a statement.

The visit is coming ahead of an International Monetary Fund meeting next week that is expected to approve a $1.2 billion tranche of lending, which has been stalled since the beginning of the year.

Report says he was expected to offer Qatar shares in state-owned enterprises, like the Pakistan International Airlines, Roosevelt Hotel in New York, and hope to secure energy deals.

Pakistan, a major importer of liquefied natural gas, LNG from Qatar, also hopes to seek a deferred payment plan for the LNG bought under long-term deals.

“We will surely seek any facility of deferred payments on our LNG deals,” an aide to Sharif said.

Adding that Pakistan was also seeking support for its foreign reserves to the tune of $2 billion.

Meanwhile, Sharif’s cabinet on Monday approved a draft agreement that allows the government to provide troops for security at the FIFA soccer World Cup in Qatar this year.

REUTERS/CO