Sajid Hussain Turi applauds Qatar for ‘incredible’ World Cup hosting

Islamabad: Sajid Hussain Turi, minister for overseas Pakistanis and human resource development, appreciated Qatar for hosting the World Cup, soccer’s biggest event, and thanked the oil- and gas-rich Gulf nation for providing employment opportunities to workers from Pakistan.

“Profound gratitude and appreciation for Qatar for hosting #FIFAWorldCup and making incredible security and other arrangements for visitors,” the minister tweeted.

“It has not only engaged the world in healthy activities but also created employment opportunities for thousands of workers of poor countries.”

The World Cup kicked off in Qatar on November 20 in a high-stakes event for the tiny nation which has faced a barrage of criticism and staked its reputation on delivering a smooth tournament, the first held in the Middle East and most expensive in history.

The tournament marks a culmination of Qatar’s soft power push on the global stage and a show of strength after emerging from a 3-1/2 year boycott by Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies, which ended in 2021.

Events like the World Cup “promote peace, unite nations and bring cultural diversity under one umbrella,” Turi noted.

“As [a] minister, I am thankful to Qatar for giving jobs to our people on this occasion.”