Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has invited Qatari investors to explore new avenues of collaboration under the government’s Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) — a joint civil-military body established in 2023 to assist and fast-track foreign investments.
The SIFC has earlier approved 28 major projects worth over $28 billion, spanning sectors such as energy, minerals, agriculture, information technology and infrastructure.
These projects, including the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, Reko Diq mining and the Thar Coal rail link, are being offered to Gulf nations including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain.
According to state broadcaster Radio Pakistan, Shehbaz extended the invitation during a meeting with Qatar’s Minister of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al-Thani in Islamabad. He underlined opportunities for investment in energy, agriculture, food security, information technology, tourism, and infrastructure sectors.
The premier expressed satisfaction over the “positive trajectory” of Pakistan-Qatar relations and praised Doha’s role as an “influential regional mediator”, particularly noting Qatar’s constructive diplomacy in mediating talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan that recently led to a ceasefire following days of border clashes.
Read: Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to immediate ceasefire in Doha talks
He also thanked Qatar for its consistent support on regional and global issues and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthen cooperation at bilateral and multilateral forums.
For his part, Sheikh Faisal conveyed greetings from the Qatari leadership and reaffirmed Qatar’s commitment to deepen economic engagement with Pakistan. He noted that the 6th session of the Pakistan-Qatar Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) provided a platform to review cooperation and identify new areas for partnership.
Both sides agreed to continue coordination to translate shared commitments into tangible outcomes, including greater facilitation for business-to-business linkages and investment projects.
Pakistan, Qatar signed a pledge of $3 billion
A press release from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting stated that following the high-level meeting, Pakistan and Qatar signed a protocol under the 6th Pakistan-Qatar Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) to formalise new commitments across multiple sectors, including trade, investment, transport, education, health, media, and technology.
The protocol commits both countries to implementing the Qatari Amir’s $3 billion investment pledge for Pakistan through the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) or other designated investment vehicles.
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A key component of the agreement is direct engagement between the QIA and Pakistan’s Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to streamline investment processes and create an enabling environment for Qatari investors.
Under the deal, Qatar expressed interest in major public-private partnership projects, such as the Kharian–Rawalpindi (M-13) and Karachi–Hyderabad motorways. Cooperation will also expand to e-governance, smart cities, and the digital economy through collaboration between the Qatar Science & Technology Park and Pakistan’s Special Technology Zones Authority.
In education and health, both sides agreed to enhance technical and vocational training, activate existing MoUs, and facilitate the recruitment of Pakistani medical professionals in Qatar.
They also pledged to deepen cooperation in media and cultural exchanges through agreements between the Qatar News Agency (QNA) and the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), and between Qatar Radio and the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC).
Qatari Minister Sheikh Faisal described the JMC outcomes as “a milestone in strengthening bilateral economic cooperation,” while Pakistan’s commerce officials termed it a key step toward operationalising the SIFC framework for Gulf investors. Both sides reaffirmed their resolve to ensure practical implementation of the JMC’s decisions, with the next session scheduled for 2026.
