ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Tuesday Qatar had agreed to elevate bilateral economic cooperation to a “higher strategic level” during talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

The meeting with Qatar’s head of state marked the highest-level engagement of Sharif’s visit and comes as Islamabad seeks to attract Gulf investment to support economic stabilization under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program while coordinating with regional partners on rising security tensions.

Qatar is a key economic partner for Pakistan, hosting nearly 300,000 Pakistani workers and previously announcing plans to invest $3 billion in sectors including transport, aviation, energy, health, media and technology. The two countries also maintain defense cooperation and structured political and business dialogues.

“His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani reiterated Qatar’s commitment to a deepening economic partnership to a higher strategic level,” Sharif’s office said in the statement.

According to the statement, the two leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening longstanding ties.

The Qatari emir also accepted Sharif’s invitation to visit Pakistan later this year, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Earlier during the visit, Sharif held talks with Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, where discussions focused on expanding cooperation in trade and investment, energy, defense, manpower and labor, and culture.

“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.”

Sharif also met Qatar’s State Minister for Trade Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed and a delegation of the Qatar Businessmen Association (QBA), where he highlighted Pakistan’s investment-friendly reforms and invited Qatari investors to explore opportunities in infrastructure, logistics, energy, agriculture, technology and export-oriented manufacturing, according to the prime minister’s office.

The business outreach reflects Islamabad’s broader push to convert political goodwill with Gulf partners into tangible investment inflows as it works to sustain macroeconomic stability and growth.

TENSIONS WITH AFGHANISTAN 

The Doha talks also addressed rising tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan following cross-border military exchanges in recent days.

Pakistan last week carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan against what it described as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) targets, after blaming recent militant attacks in Islamabad, Bajaur and Bannu on fighters operating from Afghan territory, which Kabul denies. Afghan Taliban authorities said the strikes killed civilians and described them as a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty.

The issue also came up during a separate meeting between Sharif and Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Saoud Al-Thani.

“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.”

Similar cross-border strikes last year triggered weeklong clashes before Qatar and Turkiye helped mediate a tenuous ceasefire between Islamabad and Kabul.