Pakistan Ready To Send Troops To Qatar To Help Secure The 2022 World Cup

Qatar Illustration (Instagram @go.qatar.2022)

JAKARTA - Pakistan's cabinet approved a draft agreement that would allow its government to provide security forces at the 2022 World Cup to be held in Qatar in November.

Pakistan's Information Minister, Mariyum Aurangzeb announced on Monday that the Cabinet approved a draft agreement to provide troops to Qatar for a major event scheduled from November 21 to December 18.

The Cabinet's decision came after the Joint Staff Headquarters (JSHQ) proposed signing the agreement and the foreign ministry, as well as the Directorate General of Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI), did not object to it, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

"The agreement contains the modalities of deploying troops for security assistance during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The agreement aims to determine the obligations of the two parties, specific specializations, and the number of security personnel to be dispatched by Pakistan to participate in security and safety operations," according to a statement quoted from sports.ndtv.com, Wednesday.

The Cabinet approval comes just ahead of Shehbaz Sharif's first visit to Qatar as Pakistan's prime minister at the invitation of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar.

During the visit starting Tuesday, Shehbaz held in-depth consultations with Qatari leaders. The two sides will review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, with particular focus on advancing cooperation on energy, deepening trade and investment ties, and exploring greater job opportunities for Pakistanis in Qatar, the Prime Minister's Office said.

The prime minister will also visit 'Stadium 974' in Doha, where he will be briefed on the extensive preparations being made by the Qatari government to host the FIFA World Cup.

In July, Turkey's interior minister Suleyman Soylu said the country would send 3,250 security personnel to Qatar for the World Cup, and Ankara had also trained Qatari security personnel ahead of the competition.

Earlier this year, NATO confirmed that it would also provide security during the event.

"As part of the close cooperation between Qatar and NATO, the North Atlantic Alliance will provide support for the security aspects of the World Cup," it said in a statement.

“The support will include training on the threats posed by Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) materials. It will also include training for the protection of critically important persons (VIPs) and to counter the threat posed by improvised explosive devices,” he said.