ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Qatar have agreed to bolster cooperation on internal security and broaden their bilateral security partnership, according to an official statement released on Tuesday, amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East stemming from continued hostilities between the United States and Iran.
The agreement was reached during a meeting between Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, on the sidelines of the Global Security Forum 2026 in Doha. The two officials also discussed regional peace and stability, as noted in the statement issued by Pakistan’s interior ministry.
“Pakistan and Qatar are working together for regional peace and stability,” Naqvi said, according to the statement.
The Qatari minister, who also commands his country’s Internal Security Force, emphasized that Doha places great importance on its relations with Islamabad.
Both ministers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation between their interior ministries and explored ways to expand collaboration in internal‑security‑related sectors.
The meeting took place a day after Naqvi addressed the Global Security Forum, where he pledged Pakistan’s continued support for diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict between the United States and Iran.
Pakistan has played an active mediating role between Washington and Tehran since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran in February, triggering a wider regional confrontation.
Islamabad hosted talks between the two sides in April and helped broker an interim peace agreement in June, which collapsed the following month. Hostilities have persisted in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime artery for global energy supplies.
“Pakistan has always believed that dialogue is preferable to war,” Naqvi said in televised remarks at the forum on Monday.
The minister also cited the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye in August, as an illustration of Islamabad’s commitment to regional security.
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