PM Shehbaz heads to Qatar to offer condolences over former emir's death

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday departed for a one-day visit to Qatar to offer condolences following the death of former Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, according to the Prime Minister's Office.

The PMO said the prime minister will meet Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and convey condolences to the Qatari ruler, the royal family, and the people of Qatar on the passing of the late Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif accompanied PM Shehbaz on the visit. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, along with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, are also part of the delegation, the PMO said.

In a 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.

The visit comes as Qatar observes a period of mourning following the death of its former ruler, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

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 bin Khalifa Al Thani ruled Qatar from 1995 ​to 2013, before abdicating to his son Sheikh ​Tamim, the current leader of the gas-rich Gulf ⁠country.

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"The Amiri Diwan announced the death of HH the ​Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani on Sunday morning. ​May Allah have mercy on his soul and grant him the best reward for what he achieved for his homeland and ​nation," the Diwan said.

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.

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

Sheikh ​Hamad handed power to his son, the ​then crown ⁠prince, 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.