HE Al Sada Chairs Qatari Side to Joint Ministerial Committee with Pakistan

Islamabad, February 23 (QNA) -HE Qatari Minister of Energy and Industry Dr Mohamed Bin Saleh Al Sada headed his country's delegation to the second session of Qatar-Pakistan joint ministerial committee meeting which started here on Thursday. While Dr. Assem Hussein, the private assistant of Pakistani Prime Minister for Oil and Natural Resources Affairs chaired his country's delegation to the joint meeting. HE Al Sada who flew into Islamabad earlier Wednesday on an official two-day visit to Pakistan, conferred with each of Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Reza Gilani and Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar . Later HE the Qatari Energy And Industry Minister held separate talks with chairman of Pakistan's Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and Assem Hussein focussing on ties of cooperation on issues of mutual concern. HE Qatari Minister of Energy and Industry and his accompanying delegation were welcomed upon arrival in the Pakistani capital by Qatar's ambassador in Islamabad Sayyar Abdel Rahman Al Maawda and a number of Pakistani officials. It is worth to mention that WAPDA was created in 1959 to undertake the task of investigating, planning and executing schemes for irrigation, drainage, prevention of water logging and reclamation of saline land as an autonomous body responsible for integrated development of water and power resources in Pakistan. The organization was also entrusted with the work of implementing Indus Basin Settlement Plan signed between India and Pakistan in 1960 to develop replacement works for management of river water and irrigation system. Since then it has been engaged in building water development projects which include extensive research and investigation to augment country's water resources. (QNA)