Pakistani expat in UAE unfurls green flag in Arabian Sea to mark Independence Day
Pakistani expat in UAE unfurls green flag in Arabian Sea to mark Independence Day/node/2354776/pakistan
Pakistani expat in UAE unfurls green flag in Arabian Sea to mark Independence Day
The photo taken on August 11, 2023, shows Pakistani man, Khawar Iqbal, holding the Pakistani flag under the Arabian Sea. (Photo courtesy: Khawar Iqbal)
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani expatriate living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has commemorated the South Asian country’s 77th Independence Day by unfurling the iconic green-and-white flag underwater in the Arabian Sea.
Khawar Iqbal, 43, who hails from Karachi, has been working as a bank manager in Dubai for the past 24 years.
In a tribute to his homeland, he dove underneath the sea’s surface and successfully waved the Pakistani flag in the waters of the Arabian Sea on August 11. Iqbal had raised the Pakistani flag on a flyboard for Independence Day last year and wanted to do something distinct this year.
“Thankfully, I managed it as we went 25 feet deep underwater, specifically under Dera Islands, and I raised both the UAE and Pakistani flags simultaneously,” Iqbal told Arab News in a telephone interview.
“This gesture was a sign of respect to the UAE, where I grew up, and to Pakistan, my homeland.”
It took Iqbal more than a month to prepare for the feat, particularly to overcome the fear of having to breathe underwater.
“I thought about it initially with a little concern as this is an activity I had never tried before,” he said. “Our training regimen included classroom sessions, shallow water exercises, pool training, and eventually deep-sea training.”
But the effort, solely aimed at paying a tribute to Pakistan, was worth it, and gave the expat a chance to say an “underwater prayer” for Pakistan’s prosperity and present a salute to the nation’s martyrs.
“I decided to unfurl the flag of my country beneath the sea as a tribute to Pakistan,” he said, “and a salute to all the martyrs who secured our independent homeland.”
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.
