ISLAMABAD: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has dispatched emergency relief goods to Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province that has been badly affected by torrential monsoon rains and flash floods, the Saudi aid agency said on Friday.
At least 186 persons have died in different rain-related incidents across Pakistan since mid-June, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Balochistan has reported the highest 69 fatalities.
To provide relief to the flood-affected people, KSrelief has dispatched trucks carrying 285 tons of essential food items to Balochistan.
“Food packages will help flood affected people living in 6 districts of Baluchistan (Lesbela, Khuzdar, Quetta, Pishin, Killa Saifullah, Killa Abdullah),” the Saudi aid agency said in a statement.
This photo shows a KS Relief truck in Balochistan on July 15, 2022. (@KSRelief)
“Each food package comprises all necessary essential food items; weighted 95 kg (contains 80kg of flour, cooking oil of 5 liters, 5kg of Sugar, 5kg of Daal Chana), which is sufficient for the family for the whole month.”
These food bags would be distributed in collaboration with the NDMA and the Balochistan government and the aid would benefit more than 21,000 people in the province, it added.
“This project comes under the umbrella of humanitarian projects by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center to assist affected families living in Pakistan,” the statement read.
Pakistani and Saudi officials pictured in front of a KS Relief truck in Balochistan on July 15, 2022. (@KSRelief)
With one of the largest humanitarian aid budgets in the world, KSrelief has been working in 44 countries. Pakistan is the fifth biggest beneficiary of the organization’s aid money and humanitarian operations after Yemen, Palestine, Syria and Somalia.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Qatar on Tuesday agreed to deepen their strategic and economic cooperation during high-level talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Sharif’s office said.
Sharif visited Qatar along with a high-level delegation on the invitation of Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The Pakistan premier also held meetings with Qatar’s trade and defense minister to discuss cooperation in various domains.
The visit came at a time when Pakistan is seeking closer economic engagement with Gulf partners amid its broader push to stabilize the economy and attract investment, while maintaining security and defense cooperation with key regional states.
During their meeting in Doha, PM Sharif and Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international developments, according to the Pakistan prime minister’s office.
“They reaffirmed the strong brotherly relations between Pakistan and Qatar and expressed satisfaction at the growing momentum in political, economic and institutional ties,” Sharif’s office said.
“Discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, energy, defense, manpower and labor and culture, with both sides stressing the importance of their task force to accelerate cooperation in all these areas.”
Pakistan and Qatar maintain strong trade and investment ties. In 2022, the office of Qatar’s emir said the Qatar Investment Authority planned to invest $3 billion in Pakistan, targeting sectors including transport, aviation, education, health, media, technology and labor.
Nearly 300,000 Pakistanis live and work in Qatar, according to Pakistan’s foreign office, with many employed in health, education, engineering and public services, as well as construction and transport. The two countries engage through forums such as the Bilateral Political Consultations and the Joint Ministerial Commission.
Sharif said he had productive discussions with Qatar’s emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on how the two sides could transform their brotherly ties into mutually beneficial economic relationships.
“We also took stock of the regional situation,” he said. “Pakistan and Qatar will continue to work together for peace and stability in the region and beyond.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (second right) meets the Qatari Emir Qatar’s emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (left) in Doha, Qatar, on February 24, 2026. (PID)
DIALOGUE WITH AFGHANISTAN
Earlier, Sharif and Qatar’s Deputy PM Sheikh Saoud Al-Thani discussed the situation in Afghanistan and called for dialogue to support regional stability.
The meeting took place amid renewed tensions after Islamabad carried out airstrikes last week on what it described as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) targets inside Afghanistan. Kabul said the strikes killed civilians and vowed to respond to what it called a violation of its sovereignty.
“Regional developments were also discussed, in particular the situation in Iran and Afghanistan,” Sharif’s office said in a statement. “Both sides emphasized the importance of dialogue, de-escalation and collective efforts to promote peace and stability in the region.”
This was the second time in less than six months that Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan. The last strikes triggered heavy, weeklong clashes between the neighbors along their border before Qatar and Turkiye mediated a ceasefire between them in Oct. last year.
Separately, Sharif held meetings with Qatar’s State Minister for Trade Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed and a delegation of the Qatar Businessmen Association (QBA), highlighting Pakistan’s investment-friendly reforms.
He invited QBA members to explore opportunities in infrastructure, logistics, energy, agriculture, technology and export-oriented manufacturing, his office said.
