Pakistan PM Imran Khan meets Qatari Emir; discusses bilateral ties

Prime Minister Imran Khan met Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad on Tuesday and the two leaders discussed the entire spectrum of bilateral ties and regional and international matters of mutual interest.

Khan, who flew to Doha on Monday at the invitation of the Qatari emir, held a one-on-one meeting with Sheikh Tamim followed by the delegation-level talks, Radio Pakistan reported.

"Both sides discussed the entire spectrum of bilateral ties and regional and international matters of mutual interest," it said.

Besides meetings with Qatari leadership, the prime minister is expected to meet the business and investment community of Qatar, and to address the Pakistani community during the visit.

Prime Minister Khan had discussed bilateral relations with a focus on economic cooperation in a meeting with the Qatari premier and interior minister, Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani on Monday, Dawn reported.

Changing its long-standing position, the Pakistan government has decided to request Qatar for a reduction in the price of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and its supplies on delayed payments under the existing 15-year supply contract, the paper said.

Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has been criticising the contracts signed by the previous PML-N government for the import of LNG from Qatar at a price equivalent to 13.39 per cent of the international benchmark crude oil price, and two terminals set up by the private sector for re-gasifying imported LNG.

Petroleum Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that the government would abide by the 15-year agreement with Qatar and another 10-year contract with another supplier that became the basis of the final LNG price with Qatar.

Khan is accompanied by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Finance Minister Asad Umar and Petroleum Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan.