- PML-N president Nawaz Sharif accompanies PM on Qatar visit.
- PM Shehbaz to condole former Qatari emir’s death during visit.
- PMO says Qatar visit reflects enduring Islamabad-Doha ties.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday arrived in Doha for a daylong visit to offer condolences to Qatar’s leadership over the death of former Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
The premier is accompanied by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar.
Upon his arrival at the Doha Airport, the prime minister, Nawaz, and the Pakistani delegation were received by Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al Thani.
Prime Minister Shehbaz will proceed to Lusail Palace, where he will meet the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
During the meeting, he will convey his heartfelt condolences to the Emir of Qatar, the Qatari Royal Family, and the people of Qatar on the demise of the former Emir of Qatar, the late Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
On Sunday, Premier Shehbaz, in a statement, expressed grief over the demise of former Qatari emir, remembering him as “a great leader and statesman whose wisdom, foresight and dedication to public service, transformed Qatar into a modern, prosperous and globally respected nation.”
To express solidarity on behalf of the Government and people of Pakistan with the Royal Family, Government, and people of Qatar on this sad demise, the prime minister declared today (13th of July, 2026), as a day of national mourning in Pakistan, with the national flag flying at half-mast throughout the country.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Than 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, the current leader of the gas-rich Gulf country.
Qatar is a small state with more than 2.5 million people, but 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, the then crown prince, in June 2013.
