Doha: Interior Minister of Pakistan, Mohsin Raza Naqvi and his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani met on the sidelines of the Global Security Forum (GSF) 2026 in Doha.
Pakistan and Qatar have agreed to strengthen internal security cooperation and expand their bilateral security partnership following the meeting. Naqvi is attending GSF to discuss security challenges, regional developments and diplomatic efforts with international counterparts.
Sheikh Khalifa, who also commands Qatar’s Internal Security Force, Lekhwiya, reviewed cooperation with Naqvi and discussed opportunities to further develop collaboration in relevant fields.
According to Pakistan’s interior ministry, the ministers discussed regional peace and stability and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation between their ministries. The Qatari minister said Doha attached considerable importance to its relationship with Islamabad.
Naqvi’s engagement at the forum extends beyond bilateral security discussions. Addressing its eighth edition on Monday, he said the conflict between the United States and Iran had created risks extending beyond the Middle East.
He praised Qatar’s continued diplomatic engagement and said Pakistan had sought to reduce tensions and bring the parties to the negotiating table.
Naqvi referred to the Islamabad talks in April, the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding in June and subsequent participation by Pakistan and Qatar as mediating parties at the Lake Lucerne Summit in Switzerland.
He also described the Makkah defence agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye as a defensive arrangement, saying lasting peace was difficult while neighbouring countries remained in conflict.
A broader bilateral relationship
The interior ministers’ meeting builds on relations encompassing diplomacy, trade, investment, energy and employment.
Qatar is a major supplier of liquefied natural gas to Pakistan, making energy an important component of the economic relationship. The countries’ long term supply arrangements have also involved discussions over shipment schedules as Pakistan’s domestic gas demand has changed.
Employment and community links provide another connection. Pakistani workers and professionals living in Qatar contribute to its economy, while official bilateral engagements have emphasised cooperation in manpower, aviation, trade and investment alongside energy.
The Doha discussions bring these established ties into a regional security setting, with both governments also engaged in diplomatic efforts concerning the Middle East conflict.
Other meetings at the forum
Sheikh Khalifa separately met Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande Marlaska Gómez, Cypriot Justice and Public Order Minister Costas Fitiris, and UN Under Secretary General for Safety and Security Jeanine Hennis Plasschaert.
According to the supplied Qatari statement, those meetings reviewed cooperation, explored ways to strengthen it and addressed matters of mutual interest.
