President of Pakistan will visit Qatar, from 22-25 October 2016; People to People contacts have remained an important feature of bilateral relations between the two countries. Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first Arab country to do so.
By.Asghar Ali Mubarak
Doha- State of Qatar — The President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Mr. Mamnoon Hussain, will visit the State of Qatar today from 22nd to 25th October, 2016. People to People contacts have remained an important feature of bilateral relations between the two countries. Qatar hosts more than 125,000 Pakistanis, who have been contributing towards the development and prosperity of Qatar as well as Pakistan.
The visit is being undertaken at the invitation of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar. During the visit, the President will hold bilateral meetings with the Emir of Qatar and other dignitaries. The two sides will review important aspects of bilateral relations. Regional issues and international developments will also be discussed. Pakistan and Qatar enjoys excellent bilateral relations in all fields. The two countries share similar view on regional and global issues and also closely cooperate and support each other at the international fora like the UN and OIC.The high level exchanges between the two countries, that started with the visit of His Highness the Emir of Qatar to Pakistan in March 2015 and return visit by the Prime Minister of Pakistan to Qatar in February 2016, area testimony of growing relations between the two brotherly countries. The main focus of the President’s official talks and interaction with the Qatari leadership will be on further enhancement of bilateral relations in various fields, including energy cooperation, trade investment, defense and increase in employment opportunities for the Pakistani workforce in the Qatari market. The President’s visit would further consolidate the already existing brotherly relations. Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first Arab country to do so. The State of Qatar is a sovereign country located in Western Asia, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its territory surrounded by the Persian Gulf. A strait in the Persian Gulf separates Qatar from the nearby island country of Bahrain, as well as sharing maritime borders with the United Arab Emirates and Iran.
Following Ottoman rule, Qatar became a British protectorate in the early 20th century until gaining independence in 1971. Qatar has been ruled by theHouse of Thani since the early 19th century. Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani was the founder of the State of Qatar. Qatar is a hereditary monarchy and its head of state is Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Whether it should be regarded as a constitutional or an absolute monarchy is a matter of opinion. In 2003, the constitution was overwhelmingly approved in a referendum, with almost 98% in favour. In 2013, Qatar’s total population was 1.8 million: 278,000 Qatari citizens and 1.5 million expatriates.
Qatar is a high income economy and is a developed country, backed by the world’s third largest natural gas reserves and oil reserves. The country has the highest per capita income in the world. Qatar is classified by the UN as a country of very high human development and is the most advanced Arab state for human development.Qatar is a significant power in the Arab world, supporting several rebel groups during the Arab Spring both financially and through its globally expanding media group, Al Jazeera Media Network. For its size, Qatar wields disproportionate influence in the world, and has been identified as a middle power. Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first Arab country to do so.
