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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Rupee falls 11 paise to 94.27 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 11 paise to 94.27 against US dollar in early trade on Monday driven by persistent dollar demand and a broader shift toward safe-haven assets.
Forex traders said the Indian rupee has hit a rough patch, falling for five consecutive sessions, weighed down by a combination of factors such as the RBI loosening its grip on currency rules and rising oil prices caused by global tensions.
Moreover, investors are becoming cautious again, with foreign institutions pulling money out of the market after a brief period of buying amid rising geopolitical uncertainty.
At the interbank foreign exchange market the rupee opened at 94.25 against the US dollar, then lost some ground and touched 94.27 against the US dollar in initial trade, registering a fall of 11 paise over its previous close. On Friday, the rupee had settled at 94.16 against the American currency.
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Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was down 0.09 per cent at 98.44.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 1.16 per cent at USD 106.55 per barrel in futures trade.
A mix of softer economic signals and renewed, even if fragile, hopes of diplomacy pulled the dollar lower again, CR Forex Advisors MD Amit Pabari said, adding that for Rupee, on one hand, a softer dollar offers relief. On the other, uncertainty remains the dominant force.
Meanwhile, India’s forex reserves have crossed USD 703 billion as of April 17, reflecting a consistent build-up of buffers.
"For now, the rupee continues to lean toward gradual weakness. Uncertainty remains the dominant force, shaping both global flows and local reactions," Pabari said.
He further noted that any dips are likely to be bought into, with the 92.80–93.20 zone acting as a strong support. On the upside, 93.50 to 94.50 is expected to define the near-term range.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex was trading 518.96 points or 0.68 per cent higher at 77,183.17, while the broader Nifty was trading up 131.30 points or 0.55 per cent at 24,029.25.
Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 8,827.87 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.
