Prime Minister Shehbaz goes to Qatar to condole the death of the former emir

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

The PMO said the prime minister will meet Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and convey condolences to the Qatari ruler, the royal family and the people of Qatar on the demise of the late Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif accompanied Prime Minister Shehbaz on the visit. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar along with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar are also part of the delegation, the PMO said.

In a statement, the PMO described the visit as reflecting the “decades-long brotherly ties” between Pakistan and Qatar, as well as the close relationship between the Qatari royal family, the people of Qatar and the governments and peoples of the two countries.

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

Qatar’s former emir, who revolutionized Qatar from its Bedouin background into a regional powerhouse, has died at the age of 74, the country’s Amiri Diwan, its top governing body, said on Sunday.

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

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

Sheikh Hamad had 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 tournament.

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

Sheikh Hamad handed power to his son, the 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 had overthrown his father in a bloodless coup in 1995.