Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani received H.E. Hassan bin Abdullah Al-Ghanim, Speaker of the Shura Council of the State of Qatar, in Islamabad on November 11, 2025, on the sidelines of the Inter-Parliamentary Conference. The meeting was described as a strong expression of Qatar’s parliamentary support for peace, security and sustainable development and reaffirmed warm ties between the two legislatures.
Chairman Senate highlighted that Pakistan–Qatar relations are built on mutual trust, respect and Islamic brotherhood. He expressed gratitude for Qatar’s cooperation in energy, investment and employment opportunities for Pakistani workers and praised the Pakistani community in Qatar for serving as a bridge of friendship and contributing to the country’s development. He also commended Qatar’s humanitarian initiatives and its positive role in regional mediation, including facilitation of talks in Doha in October 2025 that contributed to a ceasefire between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The two leaders agreed that parliamentary diplomacy can bring the countries closer by institutionalizing regular exchanges. Chairman Senate proposed the formation of a Pakistan-Qatar Parliamentary Friendship Group to enable sustained dialogue, committee-level cooperation, staff training, study visits and knowledge exchange. He emphasised that parliamentary diplomacy should be used to coordinate positions in international forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Asian Parliamentary Assembly and the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States to advance shared goals for peace and sustainable development.
On economic cooperation, Chairman Senate underlined Pakistan’s interest in expanding Qatari investment across energy, infrastructure, agriculture, information technology and industry. He noted that both parliaments can help create a conducive policy environment for trade and investment and called for enhanced employment opportunities for Pakistani workers in Qatar. He highlighted that 60 percent of Pakistan’s population is youth, many of whom are skilled or semi-skilled and can contribute to Qatar’s ongoing development.
In closing, Chairman Senate thanked Speaker Al-Ghanim for joining the conference and sharing his perspectives, and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to deepen parliamentary cooperation and fraternal ties with Qatar. The Qatar delegation leader expressed satisfaction with the visit, described relations as deep rooted and people to people, and welcomed steps to formalise institutional linkages. Present at the meeting were Ek Nath Dhakal, Secretary General ISC, Senator Agha Shahzaib Durrani, Advisor to the Chairman Senate, and Ambassador Misbah Khar to the ISC.
