Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday laid the foundation stone of a new building of the Pakistan embassy here at Doha.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister urged the officials and staff working at the embassy to work for promoting soft image of the country abroad.

He said Pakistan valued its relations with the brotherly state of Qatar and called upon the Pakistani diplomats to contribute in strengthening these ties.Pakistan’s ambassador to Qatar Muhammad Sarfraz Ahmed Khanzada said Pakistan and Qatar as a team could work positively towards the development and prosperity of two countries. He said Pakistani expatriates were playing positive role in the progress of the Gulf state.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by Minister for Technical Education Riaz Hussain Peerzada, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain and MNA Haji Munir Khan Aurakzai.
The embassy is currently housed in the Capital’s commercial zone and after construction will be shifted to the diplomatic area.
The Qatar government has provided 8143 square meters of land free of cost for the building and will also bear the expenditure of construction.
The construction will be done by NESPAK within a period of two years.The new building, which will be built on a land double in size to the existing one, will address the issue of space limitation. It will also contain a community hall to hold gatherings of Pakistani community at various occasions.