ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the top leaders of Qatar and Oman on Saturday to extend Eid Al-Fitr greetings and reaffirm his country’s desire to deepen bilateral cooperation in trade and investment, his office said.
Pakistan has actively sought to strengthen ties with Gulf nations in recent years, with countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates providing generous financial assistance to Islamabad amid a prolonged economic crisis.
Pakistan continues to seek foreign investment and opportunities to send more skilled labor to the region and boost remittance inflows, a critical component of its economy. High-level visits, investment dialogues and export-related events have been held across Gulf states as part of these efforts.
The phone calls to the Qatari and Omani leaders came ahead of Eid Al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, and amid preparations for increased economic engagement.
“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a telephonic call with the Amir of the State of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani today and conveyed his warm greetings and best wishes to the Amir and the brotherly people of Qatar on Eid ul Fitr,” Sharif’s office said in a statement.
“The two leaders also reaffirmed their common desire to further strengthen the close brotherly relations in the trade and investment,” it added. “To carry forward discussions on investment, it was agreed that a delegation from Qatar shall visit Pakistan immediately after Eid.”
Sharif also expressed appreciation for Qatar’s diplomatic efforts, particularly in Gaza, and recalled his visit to Doha last October, where he attended the Manzar cultural exhibition hosted by Sheikha Al Mayassa. He proposed holding a similar exhibition in Lahore, a suggestion the Qatari leader reportedly accepted.
In a separate phone call, the prime minister spoke with Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of Oman, exchanging Eid greetings and expressing Pakistan’s interest in expanding cooperation across all sectors.
“The Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction on the recent successful visit of Pakistan’s Commerce Minister to Muscat, which would pave the way for the two sides to explore mutually beneficial avenues for cooperation,” said the PM Office in another statement.
“The Prime Minister also reiterated his invitation to the Sultan of Oman and requested him to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at his earliest convenience,” it added.
The Omani Sultan warmly reciprocated the Eid greetings and conveyed his best wishes for the people of Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani Foreign Office on Saturday rejected Indian allegations of mistreatment of minorities in Pakistan, calling New Delhi a “serial violator of those very rights.”
The statement came in response to Indian Minister of External Affairs (MEA) Subrahmanyam Jaishankar’s remarks in parliament about “crimes and atrocities against minorities” in Pakistan.
Jaishankar said they “follow very closely and track the treatment of minorities in Pakistan,” and there were 10 cases of “atrocities” against the Hindu community in Feb., English-language daily Hindustan Times reported.
In response, the Pakistani Foreign Office said New Delhi was in no position to champion minority rights as it remained a serial violator of those very rights in India.
“In Pakistan, state institutions actively work to safeguard minorities as a matter of policy,” it said. “In stark contrast, incidents targeting minorities in India frequently occur with the tacit approval — or even complicity — of elements within the ruling dispensation.”
The two countries traded barbs days after a US panel on religious freedom said the treatment of minorities in Pakistan and India was “deteriorating,” recommending sanctions be imposed on the former’s officials and government agencies and the latter’s external spy agency over its alleged involvement in plots to assassinate Sikh separatists.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a bipartisan US government advisory body that monitors religious freedom abroad and makes policy recommendations, said this in its annual report on Wednesday.
Archrivals Pakistan and India routinely level similar accusations against each other, but both countries have often failed to safeguard minority rights and protect them against various attacks.
“Pakistan is a country where human rights abuses, the persecution of minorities, and the systematic erosion of democratic values are state policies,” Jaishankar said during the parliamentary session on Friday.
The Pakistani Foreign Office responded by saying that the “systematic promotion of hatred, discrimination, and violence against minorities in India is well-documented,” citing the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2002 Gujarat massacre, 2020 Delhi pogrom, 1992 demolition of Babri Mosque and other incidents.
“Rather than feigning concern for minorities elsewhere, the Indian government would do well to address its own failures,” it said. “It must take concrete steps to ensure the safety, protection, and well-being of minorities — including Muslims — and safeguard their places of worship, cultural heritage, and fundamental rights.”