Previous govts preferred family interests in ties with Qatar, says PM’s aide

Firdous Ashiq Awan says PML-N, PPP leadership had looked for own personal gains in Qatari relations

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan lamented that during the reigns of previous governments their family interests trumped the country's own.

Speaking to over 38,000 of her followers on Twitter, she hit out at the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) after Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani visited the country.

The prime minister's aide said that the visiting dignitary had expressed optimism to bolster bilateral relations.

ماضی میں قطر کے ساتھ تعلقات میں قومی مفاد کے تحفظ کی بجائے خاندانی مفادات کو ترجیح دی گئی۔اب قریبی اور خوشگوار تعلقات مضبوط اور متحرک معاشی تعاون میں تبدیل ہوں گے ۔دونوں ممالک کے مابین مختلف شعبوں میں معاہدے دو طرفہ تعلقات اور باہمی تعاون کو مزید وسعت دیں گے۔

— Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan (@Dr_FirdousAwan) June 23, 2019

"Pakistan is emerging as an attractive destination for investment and tourism under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan," she wrote on the microblogging website.

امیر قطر کا پاکستان دورہ دونوں ممالک کے مابین بھائی چارے پر مبنی تعلقات کو مختلف شعبوں میں مزید مضبوط اور فروغ دے گا۔عمران خان کی قیادت میں پاکستان سرمایہ کاری اور سیاحت میں دنیا کے لیے ایک پرکشش منزل بن کر ابھر رہا ہے۔وزیراعظم پاکستان کو سرمایہ کار دوست ملک بنانے جا رہے ہیں۔

— Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan (@Dr_FirdousAwan) June 23, 2019

Firdous added that close and pleasant relations between Pakistan and Qatar would transform into a strong and vibrant economic cooperation in the near future.

The two countries have signed three memorandum of understandings (MoUs) on trade, investment, tourism and financial intelligence.

Pakistan, Qatar ink three MoUs

The Qatari emir along with a high-level delegation had touched down at Rawalpindi’s Nur Khan airbase, where a red carpet was rolled out for him with Prime Minister Imran Khan and senior ministers of his cabinet having received him.

While at the Prime Minister's House, an official welcome ceremony took place, during which personnel of all three services presented the Qatari ruler a guard of honour.

He was also given a 21-gun salute upon his arrival and a JF-17 squadron of PAF saluted the guest in a fly past.