PM Shehbaz reaffirms solidarity with Qatar in Doha condolence visit for former emir

Nawaz Sharif, DPM Ishaq Dar and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar part of delegation

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan's “steadfast solidarity” with the leadership and people of Qatar on Monday as he extended condolences on the passing of former emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

The premier arrived in Doha earlier today for a one-day visit to offer his condolences with a high-level delegation in tow, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Nawaz Sharif, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and other senior officials.

A press release from the PM Office said that the premier and the delegation called on Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the Lusail Palace and conveyed “heartfelt condolences at the sad demise” of his father.

The prime minister paid “rich tribute” to the former emir’s “visionary leadership, statesmanship and enduring contributions to Qatar's remarkable transformation as well as to regional peace, stability, and development”.

“The prime minister recalled with deep appreciation, the father emir's warmth, kindness, and abiding affection for Pakistan, and his many memorable visits to the country over the years,” the statement said, adding that PM Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan's “steadfast solidarity with the leadership and people of Qatar during this period of profound grief”.

The PMO said Sheikh Tamim thanked the delegation for the “special gesture of travelling to Doha to personally offer condolences, describing it as a reflection of the deep-rooted fraternal bonds between the two brotherly countries and peoples”.

Doha: 13 July, 2026.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif undertook a day-long visit to Doha today, to personally convey condolences on behalf of the people and Government of Pakistan, to the leadership and people of the State of Qatar on the passing away of His Highness the… pic.twitter.com/N5uF4eoP7g

— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) July 13, 2026

The delegation was earlier received at Doha airport by Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al Thani.

In an earlier statement, the PMO described the visit as reflecting the "decades-long fraternal ties" between Pakistan and Qatar, as well as the close relationship between the Qatari royal family, the people of Qatar, and the governments and peoples of the two countries.

اسلام آباد: 13 جولائی 2026.

وزیرِ اعظم محمد شہباز شریف اپنے ایک روزہ دورہء قطر پر اسلام آباد سے روانہ ہو گئے ہیں. سابق وزیرِ اعظم میاں محمد نواز شریف بھی وزیر اعظم کے ہمراہ ہیں۔

وزیر اعظم قطر کے امیر شیخ تمیم بن حمد آلثانی سے ملاقات کریں گے اور قطر کے سابق امیر مرحوم شیخ حمد بن… pic.twitter.com/QgZzi7TYSv

— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) July 13, 2026

The visit comes as Qatar observes a period of mourning following the death of Sheikh Hamad.

Qatar's former emir, who revolutionised Qatar out of its Bedouin background to a ​regional powerhouse, died at the age of 74, ‌the nation's Amiri Diwan, its top government body, said on Sunday.

Sheikh Hamad ruled Qatar from 1995 ​to 2013, before abdicating to his son Sheikh ​Tamim.

Sheikh Hamad had elevated Qatar's global ​profile through the development of the Al Jazeera television network, as ‌well ⁠as its successful bid to host the 2022 soccer World Cup tournament.

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The US-allied state is small, with more than 2.5 million people, but it is the world's largest ​exporter of liquefied ​natural gas, ⁠a global investment powerhouse, and a heavy hitter in Middle East diplomacy and international media.

Sheikh ​Hamad handed power to his son in June 2013 in a rare abdication by a hereditary Gulf Arab ruler to try to ensure a ⁠smooth ​succession. He himself had overthrown ​his father in a bloodless coup in 1995.