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ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Pakistan marked 19 years since the Samjhauta Express bombing, saying justice remains elusive for the 68 people killed in the 2007 attack, including 44 Pakistanis, according to the Foreign Office on Thursday. At a weekly briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi expressed &ldquo;severe disappointment&rdquo; over India&rsquo;s &ldquo;callousness&rdquo; toward victims&rsquo; families. He said they continue to wait for justice nearly two decades later. He condemned the acquittal of four individuals, including Swami Aseemanand, whom he said publicly confessed to masterminding the attack, Lieutenant Colonel Purohit and Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur. The spokesperson said the exoneration confirmed India&rsquo;s role as an &ldquo;official and political accomplice&rdquo; in the attack carried out on its soil. Pakistan demands a fair trial for the perpetrators and abettors, he said. He termed the exoneration an example of &ldquo;Indian duplicity and state sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan.&rdquo; He added that &ldquo;Hindutva extremism and saffron terror&rdquo; behind the attack had intensified under India&rsquo;s current government. <h3 style="line-height: 2;">Afghanistan strikes Andrabi confirmed intelligence-based, selective strikes on seven militant camps and hideouts along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The action followed recent terrorist attacks in Bajaur and Bannu, he said.</h3> The spokesperson stated the strikes were proportional and carefully planned. They targeted identified militant sites with &ldquo;utmost caution&rdquo; to prevent civilian harm. He described reported remarks from Afghan authorities about Pakistan&rsquo;s law-and-order situation as &ldquo;discouraging and disappointing.&rdquo; Attacks have increased over the past 12 to 18 months since the Taliban takeover, he said, as that militants operating from Afghanistan conduct attacks against Pakistan. Pakistan will respond &ldquo;swiftly, strongly&rdquo; in exercise of its right to self-defense, he said. Security forces remain vigilant as there is currently no structured dialogue with Kabul, and no decision has been taken on contributing troops to an ISF force discussed in Washington. <h3 style="line-height: 2;">Kashmir Andrabi condemned the extrajudicial killing of three Kashmiri youths in the Kishtwar district of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). He called it another manifestation of &ldquo;state-sponsored terrorism.&rdquo;</h3> He referred to the Kunan Poshpora incident as a grave human rights violation and said perpetrators remain unaccounted for. He stated that Pakistan will continue urging the international community and `UN human rights bodies to hold India accountable and seek a peaceful resolution in line with UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. He also said Pakistan expects &ldquo;foolproof, complete security&rdquo; for its diplomats and nationals in Afghanistan, adding that Islamabad extends the same seriousness to Afghan diplomats in Pakistan. <h3 style="line-height: 2;">Israel occupation in West Bank Andrabi stated that Pakistan will outline its stance on Israel&rsquo;s recent move to annex parts of the occupied West Bank at an upcoming ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).&nbsp;</h3>&nbsp;He said that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will represent Pakistan at the OIC&#39;s Open-Ended Extraordinary Ministerial Session, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 26-28.&nbsp; The meeting &ldquo;has been convened to consider the illegal decision by the Israeli occupation authorities aimed at expanding settlements, pursuing annexation, and attempting to impose Israel&#39;s sovereignty over the occupied West Bank,&rdquo; the spokesperson said. Dar will present Pakistan&rsquo;s case during the session. <div class="fr-embed" style="line-height: 2;"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D1374272581405477%26set%3Da.251429287023151%26type%3D3&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="748" style="border:none;overflow:hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div> In a Facebook post, the Foreign Office said Dar will &ldquo;hold sideline meetings with counterparts from OIC&rdquo; member states. Andrabi said Israel&rsquo;s measures in the occupied West Bank have drawn condemnation from the OIC and other Muslim states, as well as &ldquo;European and other world countries,&rdquo; including Brazil, France, Denmark, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. &ldquo;In this statement, we described these changes as wide-ranging and amounting to reclassifying Palestinian land as so-called Israel state land, accelerating illegal settlement activity, and further entrenching Israeli administration,&rdquo; he said. Restating Pakistan&rsquo;s long-standing position on Israel&rsquo;s occupation of Palestinian lands, Andrabi said the country issued &ldquo;a joint statement&rdquo; with &ldquo;eight other countries&rdquo; condemning a statement by the US ambassador to Israel suggesting it would be acceptable for Israel to exercise control over territories belonging to Arab states. He said Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine, along with the OIC Secretariat and the League of Arab States, &ldquo;strongly condemned&rdquo; the remarks. The US envoy&rsquo;s comment was &ldquo;dangerous, inflammatory, and clear violation of international law and the UN Charter,&rdquo; Andrabi said. He added that it threatened regional security and stability. Qatar Separately, Andrabi addressed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif&rsquo;s recent state visit to Qatar at the invitation of the emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. PM Sharif met the Qatari emir and discussed enhancing cooperation in several areas, including economic ties. Both sides agreed on resolving international disputes peacefully through &ldquo;dialogue&rdquo; and &ldquo;diplomacy.&rdquo; Sheikh Tamim will &ldquo;visit Pakistan later this year,&rdquo; he added. During the visit, PM Sharif also met Qatar&rsquo;s defense minister, Sheikh Saud Al Thani, who expressed interest in expanding defense cooperation between the two countries and &ldquo;appreciated the professionalism and expertise of Pakistan&#39;s armed forces.&rdquo;

Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi speaking at a weekly press briefing in Islamabad, on February 26, 2026. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs/X)

Foreign Affairs

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will represent Pakistan at the Open-Ended Extraordinary Ministerial Session of the OIC.

Pakistan demands justice on Samjhauta Express bombing’s 19th anniversary

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&nbsp;Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday met Qatar&rsquo;s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, saying that the two countries would continue to &quot;work together for peace and stability in the region and beyond.&quot; &quot;Had an excellent meeting with the Amir of Qatar and my dear brother His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha this evening,&quot; PM Sharif said in a tweet on X.&nbsp; During the meeting, the two sides discussed advancing &quot;brotherly fraternal bonds&quot; and transforming them into &quot;mutually beneficial economic relationships,&quot; the PM said.&nbsp; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2026356165458731273&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=4883c37a0baedad375390932eca2a9cb9bfba6dd&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 750px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The PM, who is on a <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistans-pm-sharif-heads-to-qatar-for-key-trade-energy-talks" target="_blank" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" rel="noopener noreferrer">two-day official</a> visit to Qatar,&nbsp;was also joined by DPM/FM Senator Ishaq Dar and CDF Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. &nbsp; According to Radio Pakistan, the two leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and reaffirmed their shared commitment to further strengthening the longstanding fraternal ties between Pakistan and Qatar, expressing satisfaction&nbsp;over the positive trajectory of political engagement. Qatar&#39;s Emir&nbsp;reiterated Qatar&rsquo;s commitment to a deepening economic partnership to a higher strategic level. The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and international developments of mutual interest, emphasizing the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and peaceful resolution of disputes. Earlier that day, PM Sharif also met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Qatar&#39;s prime minister and foreign minister, in Doha. The leaders reaffirmed the strong brotherly ties between the two countries and expressed satisfaction with the increasing momentum in political, economic, and institutional engagement, according to a statement from the Prime Minister&#39;s Office (PMO). The discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in trade and investment, energy, defense, labor mobility, and cultural collaboration. A joint task force of both countries was mandated to accelerate cooperation in all these areas, as per the statement. Both sides emphasized the importance of &ldquo;implementing decisions taken during recent high-level engagements and institutional mechanisms,&rdquo; including the Joint Ministerial Commission and Bilateral Political Consultations, it added. The two sides also discussed regional issues, including developments in Gaza and broader Gulf security dynamics.&nbsp;PM Sharif appreciated Qatar&rsquo;s &ldquo;constructive diplomatic efforts&rdquo; in promoting dialogue and de-escalation in the region. &ldquo;Both leaders underscored the importance of peaceful resolution of disputes and adherence to international law, including the UN charter,&rdquo; the statement added. The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of Pakistan and Qatar to further strengthen their strategic partnership and to remain engaged and in contact on bilateral, regional, and international current issues.&nbsp;Defense, security cooperation Earlier today, Sharif met Qatar&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al Thani, to discuss defense and security cooperation, according to the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office. The leaders discussed ongoing collaboration between the armed forces of both countries and Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to further strengthening defense ties. Sheikh Saoud praised Pakistan&rsquo;s military&#39;s professionalism and expressed Qatar&rsquo;s interest in expanding the defense partnership.&nbsp;Trade cooperationEarlier in the day, PM Sharif met Qatar&rsquo;s Minister of State for Foreign Trade Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Sayed, who is also the Chairman of the Pakistan-Qatar Joint Business Task Force.&nbsp;The two reviewed bilateral trade and economic cooperation and expressed satisfaction over the growing momentum in Pakistan-Qatar relations.&nbsp; They agreed to implement decisions from the sixth Pakistan-Qatar Joint Ministerial Commission meeting and to meet a joint task force during Ramadan to review Qatari investment proposals.&nbsp;Later, the prime minister welcomed a delegation from the Qatar Businessmen Association (QBA), led by its Chairman, Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani.&nbsp;&nbsp;PM Sharif invited QBA members to explore investment opportunities in infrastructure, logistics, energy, agriculture, technology, and export-oriented manufacturing. He said the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) provides a one-window platform for efficient and timely investment decisions. Sheikh Faisal expressed interest in expanding business-to-business cooperation. Both sides agreed to maintain engagement through upcoming task force visits and business forums to convert discussions into concrete partnerships.&nbsp; The meetings also focused on strengthening links between businesses and entrepreneurs in both countries. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi attended all meetings.

Discussions focus on enhancing cooperation in trade and investment, energy, defense, labor mobility, and cultural collaboration; joint task force of both countries mandated to accelerate cooperation in all areas.



Pakistan PM, Qatar Emir pledge deeper economic and regional cooperation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday arrived in Doha on a two-day official visit at the invitation of Qatar&rsquo;s Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, for trade, energy, and regional issues, the Prime Minister&#39;s Office (PMO) said in a statement.&nbsp;At Hamad International Airport in Doha, the prime minister was received by Qatar&rsquo;s Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, Pakistan&rsquo;s Ambassador to Qatar Muhammad Aamer, and members of the diplomatic staff.&nbsp;During his stay, PM Sharif is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with the Amir of Qatar, focusing on enhancing economic cooperation, energy partnership, and people-to-people exchanges.&nbsp;&ldquo;Both sides will also discuss expanding cooperation in trade, investment, energy, infrastructure development, and manpower export,&rdquo; the statement said.&nbsp;The prime minister is accompanied by the Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi during the visit.&nbsp;Pakistan and Qatar maintain close coordination at regional and international forums. The visit aims to expand cooperation across multiple sectors and deepen existing ties.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrives in Doha for talks with Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, focusing on trade, energy cooperation, investment, and strengthening bilateral ties across sectors.

Articles tagged with "Pakistan Qatar relations"

Pakistan demands justice on Samjhauta Express bombing’s 19th anniversary

Pakistan PM, Qatar Emir pledge deeper economic and regional cooperation

Pakistan PM Sharif arrives in Qatar for key trade, energy talks