Raincheck: Qatar’s emir cancelled visit due to sit-ins: Iqbal

Iqbal says leaders of Sri Lanka, Maldives and China also called off their trips due to the ongoing political impasse

ISLAMABAD:

The emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani has cancelled a scheduled visit to Pakistan following the sit-ins in Islamabad, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal revealed on Wednesday. Speaking at a press conference at PID’s offices in Islamabad, Iqbal said the leaders of Sri Lanka, Maldives and China had also called off their trips due to the ongoing political impasse.

The Chinese president Xi Jinping was expected to bring investment worth $34 billion to Pakistan, Iqbal said, as was the Qatari emir’s trip. “Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s negative politics and Imran Khan’s stubborn attitude has isolated the country, destroyed the economy and created a rowdy attitude in society,” Iqbal said.  “Imran Khan’s agenda is to stop foreign investment coming into Pakistan and this will only harm the poor,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2014.