By Azmat Haroon
Doha: Qatar will increase the quota for Pakistani visas by December this year, the visiting Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province, Mian Mohammad Shahbaz Sharif, said yesterday. He was here on a one-day visit to pursue LNG deals with Qatar.
An investment plan to set up a 5,000MW coal-fired power plant in Karachi was also proposed to Qatari investors by Pakistan.Sharif was visiting Doha as a special envoy of the Pakistani Prime Minister Mian Mohammed Nawaz Sharif, who is also his elder brother.
“The Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has assured us that the work visas quota for Pakistanis will be increased in December and more job opportunities will be provided to fellow Pakistanis,” Sharif said during a press briefing.
He was accompanied by a high-level delegation from Pakistan comprising the Federal Minister for Water and Power, Khawaja Mohammad Asif, and Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
The delegation also met the Prime Minister and Interior Minister, H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, and the Minster of Energy and Industry, H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada.
The Chief Minister said Pakistan plans to provide skilled workers certified by Pakistan’s provincial governments to Qatar in the near future.
Pakistan, currently suffering from a severe power crisis, is also negotiating the import of two million tonnes of LNG per annum from Qatar. Lack of infrastructure was cited as a major challenge faced by Pakistan in importing gas.
Qatari authorities have suggested that it is crucial for Pakistan to establish LNG terminals, while proposing the idea to build floating terminals that are reportedly more viable.
“Qatar has clearly said that it is willing to supply gas but the terminals would have to be built by Pakistan itself,” Sharif said, adding that Pakistani government plans to pursue energy deals seriously so as to show the suppliers in the world that it means business. Once Pakistan builds LNG terminals, it will also be able to import LNG from the United States and Australia, among other countries in the world.
“So far we have only renewed projects with Qatar so as to have a stable supply. Geographically, Qatar is closest to Pakistan which is why the transportation cost of gas would be cheapest from here,” Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said.
Khawaja Mohammad Asif, meanwhile, said that there were no short-term or immediate plans to end load-shedding in Pakistan as the generation of electricity will not increase overnight.
“The minimum electricity (power) deficit in the country right now is 6,000 megawatt and it will take time to overcome it. But in the next three to four years, we expect the supply of electricity to increase and for the prices to come down as well.”
The Peninsula
