MATIARI: Consul General (CG) of Qatar in Karachi Mishal M. Al Ansari has said that his country is going to recruit 100,000 Pakistanis by issuing work visa in all sectors and fields soon.

He said Qatar had opened its visa centres in Karachi and Islamabad one month ago for workers and professionals.

Calling for strengthening bilateral relations between his country and Pakistan, he said: “We are looking for partnership in the agriculture industry. We have a desert country; we want to promote our agriculture industry through modern technology.”

He was talking to media persons at the residence of Sindh Cham­ber of Agriculture (SCA) presi­dent Qabool Mohammad Khatian in village Arif Khatian, Matiari district, on Wednesday.

He said Qatar had already around 150,000 Pakistanis working in all fields. He said that relations between the two states were strong and they would improve.

“We are working on bolstering bilateral relations and looking forward to taking advantage of Pakistan’s offers and vice versa,” he said, adding that he had come here for the first time to see agriculturalists and farming areas , especially mango orchards, as he loved sweet mangoes of Sindh. He said Qatar already was importing vegetables and fruit from Pakistan and those imports would increase.

He said the China-Pakistan Eco­no­mic Corridor (CPEC) would bene­fit Pakistan and it was a good project for the country. He also visited mango farms in Matiari and was eager to ensure more imports of mango in the forthcoming season.

Welcoming the Qatari official, Mr Khatian said that the CG came to the interior of Sindh for the first time to support growers of the province.

SCA senior vice president Nabi Bux Sathio urged the CG and his government to provide a special window to Sindh growers who could directly export their fruits and agricultural produce to Qatar.

He also urged him to provide facilities to the skilled, educated and technically-sound youths for getting employment in Qatar as Sindh had plenty of manpower.

He said the SCA would coordinate and ask the ministry of overseas Pakistanis for giving due share of manpower exports to Qatar.

“Qatar wants to import its maximum requirement of mangoes, including special varieties — Sindhri, Chausa and others. The CG of Qatar [has invited] mango growers to visit Qatar and sell their produce directly as any Pakistani can obtain visa on arrival at any Qatar international airport,” SCA general secretary Zahid Hussain Bhurgari briefed media about the CG’s meeting with the SCA office-bearers earlier at village Arif Khatian, Matiari. Growers from all over the province attended it.

He said Qatar imported mangoes and other agricultural commodities from Egypt, India and Pakistan. He said the CG visited the mango orchards of Matiari to check conditions of the farms.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2019