Pakistan seeks LNG supply from Qatar
By Asad Cheema

ISLAMABAD—Pakistan needs Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) supply to Sui Southern Gas Company Limited’s (SSGCL) terminals to meet with the pressing energy demand and to overcome the shortage in the country through this alternate source of energy.
Syed Naveed Qamar Federal Minister for Privatisation, Investment, Ports, Shipping, Industries & Production expressed these views during a meeting with Mr. Hamad Ali Al-Hinzab Qatari Ambassador to Pakistan who called on him here on Monday
The Minister appreciated the role of Qatari investors towards contributing in the economy of Pakistan and said that any investment from Qatari Business Groups/ investors in Pakistan would be fully supported by the people of Pakistan in view of the strong brotherly relations between both the countries. It would also provide an opportunity to the business groups of both the countries to identify the new avenues for enhancing the existing economic relations, which required exchange of investors groups of both the countries, he said.
Syed Naveed Qamar informed the envoy regarding Pakistan’s Privatisation Policy, Process and the Program. He said that there was a need to accelerate our efforts to further transform and strengthen our close relations into commercial interaction. Pakistan is the most promising area in the region for the local and foreign investors for business activity in almost all the sectors. Pakistan would continue to provide new investment avenues with remarkable incentives for the private sector in the region, he added. The Minister assured maximum support both at Federal and Provincial levels for materializing the investment projects of the Qatari investors on fast track basis in Pakistan and also to remove all sorts of bottlenecks in the process.
Qatari Ambassador to Pakistan Mr. Hamad Ali Al-Hinzab said that that the Government of Qatar shares an excellent rapport with the Government in place and intended to expand its cooperation both on economic and political fronts for mutual growth and benefit of both the countries. He also apprised the Minister that the Qatar Government’s cement project was at initial phase and a delegation has recently visited Pakistan to discuss and finalize important matters and modalities with the Government of Sindh. Pakistan has vast resources and potential for investment activity and Qatari Business groups/ Companies were keen to take part in the privatisation of Pakistan and to focus on the investment opportunities such as the Live Stock and milk processing sectors of Pakistan, which would generate job opportunities at home, he said.