Qatar to provide Pakistan $3bn in direct investment, deposits: Firdous

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Monday said that Qatar would provide Pakistan $3 billion in the form of direct investment and deposits.

She made this announcement while talking to media after attending the committee meeting of Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE).

It would create new business opportunities in Pakistan besides strengthening the investment initiative of the government, she added.

Terming it the first step to further boost Pak-Qatar relations, she said the amount would help Pakistan overcome its economic challenges and also create new job opportunities for the youth, which constituted over 60% of population.

She said Prime Minister Imran Khan had announced visa on arrival facility for Qatari citizens which would boost country's tourism sector.

The Qatari government, she said,  had removed the ban on Pakistani rice which was good news not only for the rice exporters but also for the country's economy.

Moreover, Qatar had promised to further increase quota for Pakistani labour import in near future.

Firdous said the world community, owing to dedicated efforts of Prime Minister Imran Khan, had realized the sacrifices of Pakistan in the war on terror.

It was not Pakistan’s war but for making the world a peaceful place, she said. Pakistani nation had offered unprecedented sacrifices besides suffering heavy economic losses.

She said that Pakistan Army, law enforcement agencies and the entire nation had offered great sacrifices in that war and Prime Minister Imran Khan had highlighted the world about these sacrifices and the positive image of Pakistan at the international level.

She said that recent visit of Emir of Qatar was outcome of Imran Khan’s successful policies as Imran Khan wanted to promote trade with the friendly countries.

She said that in the past Pakistan was isolated internationally, but Imran Khan's efforts got the country rid of that isolation.

The announcement of heavy Qatari investment in Pakistan was manifestation of Qatari leadership’s confidence in the leadership of Imran Khan, who had waged a war against corruption in the country.  She said that new initiatives in Pak-Qatar relations, would open new avenues in the bilateral relations.

To a question, she said that opposition’s narrative was not clear and the government need not worry. She said it was strange that in the constituencies where opposition candidates had won, the opposition termed it election but in the constituencies where their candidates lost it called it selection.

She said the prime minister was duly elected by the votes of majority of legislators and calling him a selected prime minister was an insult of the entire National Assembly's members. As members of the parliament, it was responsibility of opposition members to protect its honour and dignity.