Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources has said that despite the severing of diplomatic ties with Qatar by Saudi Arabia and some other countries, under a 15-year agreement Islamabad will continue to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar.
Qatar and Pakistan signed last year a $1 billion agreement, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, said adding that under that agreement Qatar’s Liquefied Gas Company Limited will sell LNG from 2016 to the year 2031 to state-run Pakistan State Oil.
He continued saying since no sanctions have been imposed on Qatar by the United Nations, Qatar and Pakistan were bound to abide by the agreement.
Qatar has released a report into the alleged hack of its state-run news agency, an incident which assisted spark a diplomatic crisis between the energy-rich country and Arab nations.
The Qatari Interior Ministry reported late Wednesday that the website of the Qatar News Agency had been hacked in April with “high techniques and innovative methods.”
According to this report, hackers installed a file and then posted a fake news item attributed to Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, just after midnight May 24.
The ministry did not answer who it suspected carried out the attack. It also thanked the FBI and the British National Commission for Combating Crime for helping it in its investigation.
The alleged fake news item, making Sheikh Tamim controversial comments on Iran and Israel, immediately was picked up by Saudi and Emirati media.
Kuwait’s emir has traveled to Qatar to meet that country’s leader as part of his attempts to mediate an end to a crisis that’s seen Arab nations cut ties to the energy-rich country and attempt to devastate it.
Kuwait’s Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah had met planeside by Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, after his arrival on Wednesday night.
The two held discussions, though details of their talks were not released. Sheikh Sabah earlier Wednesday traveled to Dubai to meet with Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also prime minister and vice president of the United Arab Emirates.
Sheikh Sabah also has traveled to Saudi Arabia.
