Pakistan and Qatar signed an agreement of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Doha, as part of the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif two-day official visit to the Arab country. The agreement was signed by Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Chairman of Qatar Gas Board of Directors Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi at a ceremony in Diwan-e-Emiri in Doha. Pakistan has succeeded in finalising a $ 16 billion 15 years contract with Qatar for the supply of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) at a highly competitive price. According to the agreement of bilateral agreements Qatar will export 3.75 million tonnes of LNG to the energy-starved Pakistan. Government is claiming that deal would bridge the supply and demand and would help to meet 20 percent of country’s energy needs. Government has claimed that the deal would save the country $1 billion annually while a further $600 million could be saved in diesel costs for power generators.
The visit of Prime Minister was a successful in a way that Qatar has offered 100,000 job visas for skilled Pakistanis. But it is also the responsibility to talk on providing the suitable conditions and working environment to the workers. In deed Pakistanis working in foreign countries have yielded positive results for the country in form of huge remittances. As Qatar is going to host the FIFA 2022 World Cup, it will require a lot of infrastructural development. Pakistani engineers and labour force can be effective in playing their role in the development of such infrastructure in Qatar.
Its good that government is taking initiatives to improve energy crisis in the country but overall economic situation needs special attention to improve and to be free from clutches of IMF.
Government claims that deal with Qatar would be crucial to end energy crisis in the country.
