Pakistan, Qatar agree to expand security partnership, strengthen internal security cooperation

Pakistan and Qatar on Tuesday agreed to expand their security partnership and strengthen cooperation in internal security during a meeting between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, in Doha, according to a statement by the Ministry of Interior.

The meeting, also attended by the commander of Qatar’s Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation between the two interior ministries, as well as the prevailing regional situation and matters relating to regional peace and stability.

“Pakistan and Qatar are working together for regional peace and stability,” Naqvi said, while the Qatari interior minister said his country attached great importance to its relations with Pakistan.

Naqvi is in Doha attending the eighth Global Security Forum, where he highlighted Qatar’s role in diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Iran and the United States. He said Pakistan and Qatar had worked to prevent further escalation and save lives, citing the involvement of Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir in efforts to keep negotiations on track.

He recalled the Lake Lucerne summit in Switzerland, where Qatar’s prime minister and CDF Munir worked for more than 16 hours to keep negotiations on track.

“The aim of both countries, Pakistan and Qatar, was never to take credit; the only aim was to stop further conflict and to save innocent lives,” he said.

Praising Qatar’s diplomatic efforts, Naqvi said, “In the diplomacy of our time, when others chose sides, Qatar chose to keep talking. Pakistan has seen this closely because we have worked beside you.” He said the experience had reinforced the importance of keeping diplomatic channels open, building trust and making sustained efforts for peace.

“We do not want credit for stopping wars. We want a future where wars do not start,” he added. Naqvi also called for stronger international cooperation, intelligence-sharing and joint efforts to combat terrorism, which he described as a common enemy.