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Ashraf SiddiquiDohaPakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif is slated to arrive in Doha on Tuesday on a two-day trip that will see high-level talks on bilateral trade and ties, particularly in the agriculture and investment sectors.This is the premier’s maiden trip to Qatar since assuming office in April this year, Pakistan’s Ambassador HE Syed Ahsan Raza Shah told Qatar Tribune on Monday. A high-level delegation comprising more than a dozen Cabinet members and senior executives from Pakistan’s crucial sectors including energy, finance and commerce would accompany the PM, the envoy said. Pakistan’s former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and federal minister Mian Javed Latif are also said to be part of the delegation.“During the visit, the prime minister will hold in-depth consultations with the Qatari leadership. The two sides will review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, with a particular focus on advancing energy-related cooperation, deepening trade and investment ties and exploring greater employment opportunities for Pakistanis in Qatar,” Shah said.The two sides would also exchange views on a range of regional and international issues of mutual interest, he added. The prime minister and the delegates are also scheduled to hold meetings with leading Qatari and Pakistani business leaders, investors and entrepreneurs. A visit to Stadium ‘974’, which is one of the host venues of the FIFA World Cup, is also part of the PM’s itinerary Shah said Pakistan and Qatar enjoy close and cordial fraternal ties, deeply rooted in shared faith, mutual trust and understanding, and close cooperation. The relationship is marked by growing collaboration in all fields of bilateral interest as well as close coordination on regional and international issues, he added. Qatar is home to more than 200,000 Pakistanis, who sent $311 million to Pakistan in remittances last year. The bilateral trade between the two countries has crossed $1.2 billion, with Pakistani exports accounting for $160 million as of December 2021.
