ISLAMABAD, April 14: Pakistan has asked Qatar to provide liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Sui Southern Gas Company Limited to help the country tide over the energy crisis.

This was stated by Syed Naveed Qamar, Minister for Ports and Shipping, during a meeting with Qatari Ambassador Hamad Ali Al-Hinzab who had called on him here on Monday.

The minister appreciated Qatari investors’ contribution to Pakistan’s economy and said that their investments would be fully protected. “It will also provide an opportunity to business groups of the two countries to identify new avenues for enhancing the existing economic relations,” he said.

The minister assured maximum support for projects of Qatari investors and said that all bottlenecks would be removed on a fast track basis.

Mr Qamar, who also holds portfolios of Privatisation and Investment and Industries and Production, informed the Qatari ambassador about Pakistan’s privatisation policy. He said that there was a need to accelerate efforts to further transform and strengthen the relations into a commercial interaction.

“Pakistan is the most promising area in the region for local and foreign investors. It will continue to provide new investment avenues with remarkable incentives for the private sector in the region.”

The Qatari ambassador said that his government had an excellent rapport with the government of Pakistan and wanted to expand its cooperation on economic and political fronts for mutual development and to the benefit of both the countries.

He apprised Mr Qamar of his government’s cement project which was at the initial phase and said that a Qatari delegation had recently visited Pakistan to discuss and finalise modalities with the Sindh government.

“Pakistan has vast resources and potential for investment and Qatari business groups and companies are keen to invest in livestock and milk processing sectors in Pakistan,” he added.