ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appointed Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora as an honorary ambassador-at-large for Kartarpur Corridor, a visa-free corridor for Indian Sikh pilgrims traveling to Pakistan.
Arora, who is a member of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party, became the first Sikh lawmaker in Pakistan in 2013, remaining a lawmaker until 2018. He was elected to a second term in 2020.
The Kartarpur Corridor was inaugurated in 2019 as part of the commemoration of the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. The temple in Pakistan, Darbar Sahib Gurudwara, is one of the holiest shrines for the Sikh community in India, but had not been easy to reach for Indians who either needed to fly to Lahore or cross via a checkpoint on the main road between Lahore and Amritsar, India. But both routes required visas.
Since November 2019, a crossing allows devotees from India to visit the temple in Kartarpur, 4.7 kilometres (2.9 miles) from the India–Pakistan border on the Pakistani side, without a visa.
“The Pakistani nation is a peace loving nation, and we invite Sikhs and Hindus from all over the world, including India, to come and visit Kartarpur,” Arora told media after his appointment, saying he would promote a “soft image” of the corridor as its ambassador.
Arora said it was the responsibility of Indian authorities to allow more pilgrims to cross over to Pakistan using the Kartarpur Corridor.
“Pakistan is a safe country," Arora said. "We are also looking forward to more and more visitors to the peace corridor. Pakistan has always promoted religious tourism."
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 Pakistani premier also held meetings with Qatar’s trade and defense ministers 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 on X. “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.
