Pakistan, Qatar agree to deepen police cooperation, Doha to help build firing range in Islamabad

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi meets Qatari counterpart Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (right) in Doha, Qatar, on November 24, 2025. (X/@MohsinnaqviC42)
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Updated 24 November 2025
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Pakistan, Qatar agree to deepen police cooperation, Doha to help build firing range in Islamabad

  • Pakistan’s Interior Minister meets Qatari counterpart Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani in Doha
  • Pakistan undertakes measures to strengthen police forces as it reels from surging militant attacks across country

ISLAMABAD: Senior officials from Pakistan and Qatar agreed to enhance cooperation between their law enforcement agencies while Doha will help build a state-of-the-art firing range at a police academy in Islamabad, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Monday. 

The development took place when Naqvi met Qatar’s Interior Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani in Doha. The two officials held talks on regional and bilateral matters, including enhanced cooperation between their law enforcement agencies, joint efforts to curb drug trafficking and strengthening coastal guard coordination, the Pakistani minister said. 

“I am grateful to Minister Al-Nuaimi for his commitment for helping in establishing a state-of-the-art firing range for the National Police Academy in Islamabad,” Naqvi wrote on social media platform X. 

“We look forward to welcoming him to Pakistan very soon.”

Pakistan enjoys cordial relations with Qatar and cooperates with the country in several sectors such as defense, economic, trade and others. Pakistan and Qatar have recently sought to expand their defense ties after Islamabad entered into a historic strategic defense agreement with Saudi Arabia in September. 

Pakistan has been eyeing measures to enhance the capability and effectiveness of its police force as it grapples with a rise in militant attacks in its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and southwestern Balochistan provinces bordering Afghanistan. 

Three paramilitary forces personnel were killed on Monday morning when three suicide bombers attacked the Federal Constabulary (FC) force’s headquarters in Peshawar. Police said security forces had foiled the attack by killing all three suicide bombers, who had managed to wound 11 others in the attack.


Pakistan bank enables Shariah-compliant digital payment facility for passengers at Islamabad airport

Updated 23 February 2026
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Pakistan bank enables Shariah-compliant digital payment facility for passengers at Islamabad airport

  • Pakistan is a cash-dominated market where a significant portion of transactions in the informal sector are made without any taxes, officials say
  • The move comes amid Pakistan’s efforts to introduce a cashless model at airports under which only digital service providers can provide services

KARACHI: Aik, Pakistan’s first Islamic digital bank, has enabled fully digital payments at Islamabad International Airport to offer travelers and passengers secure, Shariah compliant digital transaction facility.

The development comes amid Pakistan’s efforts to introduce a cashless model at airports across the country, under which only digital service providers can provide services to customers.

Aik, a subsidiary of Bank Islami, said it has onboarded merchants across the Islamabad airport and integrated QR code deployments at key touchpoints to allow passengers and visitors to make secure, seamless, and Shariah-compliant digital transactions at all counters, retail outlets, and service points.

It said the implementation complies with the regulations and framework set by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and is a working model for a large-scale adoption of cashless systems in public infrastructure.

“This deployment reflects our commitment to building practical digital infrastructure that improves everyday transactions,” Aik Chief Officer Ashfaque Ahmed said in a statement.

“By enabling a fully cashless environment at a major national gateway, we are supporting efficiency, transparency, and financial inclusion at scale. This is not only a project; it is a foundation for Pakistan’s cashless future.”

Pakistan is a cash-dominated market where a significant portion of transactions, particularly in the informal sector, are conducted in cash. Officials say many of these transactions are aimed at avoiding taxes.

In recent years, the SBP has taken steps to ensure a transition toward a more cashless economy so that transactions are more traceable, reducing chances of tax evasion and corruption.

By digitizing Islamabad airport, aik said it continues to invest in secure and accessible financial solutions that “expand digital participation and support national economic modernization.”