Pakistan Army to provide troops to Qatar for football World Cup security
Islamabad, Aug 23: Pakistan's Cabinet has approved a draft agreement that allows the government to provide troops for security at the FIFA football World Cup to be held in Qatar in November.
Pakistan's Information Minister Mariyum Aurangzeb announced on Monday that the Cabinet gave the nod to the draft agreement for providing troops to Qatar for the mega event being scheduled from November 21 to December 18.
The Cabinet's nod came after the Joint Staff Headquarters (JSHQ) proposed the signing of the agreement and the foreign ministry, as well as the Directorate General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), expressed no objections to it, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.
The agreement contains modalities for deployment of troops for security assistance during the FIFA World Cup 2022. The agreement aims to define the obligation of the two parties, the specific specialisations, and the number of security personnel to be sent by Pakistan to participate in the security and safety operations, according to a statement.
The Cabinet approval came just ahead of Shehbaz Sharif's first visit to Qatar as the prime minister of Pakistan at the invitation of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar.
During the visit from Tuesday, Shehbaz would hold in-depth consultations with the Qatari leadership. The two sides will review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, with a particular focus on advancing energy-related cooperation, deepening trade and investment ties, and exploring greater employment 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 undertaken by the government of Qatar to host the FIFA World Cup.
In July, Turkey's interior minister Suleyman Soylu said the country will send 3,250 security officers 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 will 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 against threats posed by Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) materials. It will also include training for the protection of very important people (VIPs) and to counter threats posed by improvised explosive devices, it said.
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Kalaburagi: 22-yr-old driver killed on spot as pickup vehicle crashes into bridge on NH in Afzalpur
Kalaburagi: The driver of a pickup truck transporting fish was killed on the spot as the vehicle rammed into a bridge on the National Highway bypass in Balurgi village of Afzalpur taluk early Friday morning.
The deceased has been identified as Anil Dasharatha Bhovi (22), a native of Bandarwada village in Afzalpur taluk. He was reportedly driving from Jewargi to Solapur, when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a bridge on the bypass in Balurgi. Anil Said to have died on the spot due to the intensity of the crash.
Afzalpur Police have said that the body of the driver has been sent to the Afzalpur Government Hospital and will be handed over to the family after completion of the postmortem examination.
A case has been registered in this regard at the Afzalpur Police Station and investigation is underway.
