DOHA: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Thursday that Pakistan’s economy had witnessed a great turnaround and development was taking the country forward at a fast pace.
Speaking to the Pakistani community in Doha during his two-day official visit to Qatar, Sharif shared details of his meetings with the Qatari leadership. He said that his hosts lauded the role of the Pakistani community in the development of Qatar. He said that he was proud to get a positive feedback about the Pakistanis who were working with commitment and honesty and using their skills to bring a good name to their country. He said that Pakistan had strong ties with Qatar and it wanted to strengthen them through enhanced interaction at all levels.
The prime minister said that Pakistan had signed a landmark deal on import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar. He said that LNG imported from Qatar would help Pakistan generate electricity and produce more fertilizer to meet its domestic needs. Under the agreement, Pakistan would buy $16 billion LNG from Qatar over the next 15 years. Sharif praised the government of Qatar for providing gas to Pakistan at competitive rates. He said that he pointed out during his meetings with the Qatari leadership that the bilateral trade between Pakistan and Qatar needed to be increased from $300 million to at least $1 billion annually. He said that LNG import would boost trade between the two countries.
Sharif said that measures were being taken to overcome the energy crisis and decrease power tariff. He said that LNG imported from Qatar would help lower prices of products and make them competitive in the international market. He said that Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves were all-time high nowadays. He said the World Bank president and other financial experts noted that Pakistan’s economic indicators were positive.
Sharif said the security situation in the country had improved after the launch of the Operation Zarb-e-Azb, which broke the back of the terrorists. He said the operation would be taken to its logical end. He said the people of Karachi praised the ongoing operation against criminals.
The prime minister said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would help the country’s economy. He said the Gwadar airport would be one of the most beautiful airports of the world. He said that his government was working to improve the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). He said the government would upgrade the PIA to compete with top international airlines. “Now PIA workers’ strike has ended and we will work to bring it on a par with Qatar Airways,” he said.
Sharif said that numerous projects for power generation were underway and all resources were being used with the help of China. He said the nation must keep in mind the negligence of the previous governments that did not generate electricity. He said that previous governments were duty-bound to install power generation units, but they did not. He mentioned the Chinese investment in Pakistan’s energy sector and said that Pakistan urgently needed electricity to meet its needs.
The prime minister said that previous governments ignored roads and motorways, but the incumbent government was building a network of roads and motorways from the Pakistan-China border to Karachi and Gwadar. He said the Hazara Motorway and 27-kilometre long tunnels near Attabad Lake would be completed in a year.
A member of the royal family, Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad, made a courtesy call on Sharif and offered 100,000 work visas for Pakistanis. Sharif told Hamad that Pakistan attached immense importance to its relations with Qatar. Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Special Assistant to Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi were also present.
Separately, Sharif said that Pakistan offered incentives for foreign direct investment in different sectors. Talking to Sheikh Abdullah Bin Muhammad Al Thani, chief executive officer of the Qatar Investment Authority, in Doha on Thursday, Sharif invited Qatar to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan, particularly in the energy sector.
