ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday praised Qatar as one of the region’s most active diplomatic mediators, calling Doha an “emissary of peace” during an address at a ceremony to mark Qatar’s National Day in Islamabad.

Sharif’s remarks come after Qatar led negotiations aimed at easing the Gaza conflict, working with nations like the United States to reach a ceasefire and secure humanitarian pauses and prisoner exchanges. Doha also facilitated de-escalation talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan after border clashes earlier this year, underscoring its growing role as a crisis mediator across the region.

Pakistan has also aligned closely with Qatar in recent months. Sharif visited Doha in a show of solidarity after Israel’s airstrikes on the country in September, while Qatar publicly supported Pakistan during a brief military conflict with India in May, which Islamabad has highlighted as evidence of a deepening two-way partnership.

“Pakistan deeply appreciates Qatar’s distinguished and long-standing role as the emissary of peace, a nation that has repeatedly opened doors for dialogue, helped defuse tensions, and encouraged reconciliation with the noble aim of fostering peace and stability in the region and beyond,” Sharif said during his National Day address. 

He described Qatar as a “brotherly country of Pakistan” with “very strong fraternal and friendly relations,” noting that bilateral engagement spans energy security, defense cooperation, trade and investment. More than 150,000 Pakistanis live and work in Qatar, contributing to its economy and remitting income back home, while Qatari investments in Pakistan’s real estate, infrastructure and renewable energy sectors have expanded.

Sharif said he had traveled to Doha twice this year, first to convey Pakistan’s solidarity after the Israeli airstrike on Doha on September 9, 2025, and again for the Arab-Islamic Summit, and stressed that Islamabad stands “shoulder-to-shoulder” with Doha in pursuit of regional stability.