PM Shehbaz visits Qatar to offer condolences over death of former Emir

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

The Prime Minister’s Office said the Prime Minister will meet the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and offer condolences to the Qatari leader, the royal family and the people of Qatar on the passing away of the late Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif accompanied Prime Minister Shehbaz during the visit. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, as well as Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, are also part of the delegation, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

In a statement, the prime minister described the visit as reflecting the “decades-long fraternal ties” between Pakistan and Qatar, as well as the close relations between the Qatari royal family, the people of Qatar and the governments and people of the two countries.

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

Qatar’s former emir, who revolutionized Qatar from its Bedouin origins to a regional power, has died at the age of 74, Amiri Diwan, its top government body, said on Sunday.

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

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

Sheikh Hamad raised Qatar’s global profile through the development of the Al Jazeera television network, as well as its successful bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The U.S.-allied state is small, with more than 2.5 million people, but it is the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, a global investment powerhouse and a heavyweight in Middle East diplomacy and international media.

Sheikh Hamad handed power to his son, 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 overthrew his father in a bloodless coup in 1995.