Islamabad

The Pakistan Army will assist Qatar with security in the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022.

The approval was given by the federal cabinet to the Pakistan Army-Qatar agreement on providing assistance during the mega football event from November 20 to December 18.

The Gulf country will be hosting the extravaganza for the very first time.

Pakistan will receive $2 billion from Qatar in bilateral support to help ease its funding crunch and the consequent risk of a default.

The country will also get $1 billion in oil financing from Saudi Arabia and a similar amount in investments from the UAE.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is visiting Qatar on August 23 and 24.

The pledges come before an International Monetary Fund (IMF) board meeting on August 29 that could lead to the release of $1.2 billion in financing.

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Arab nations had committed to supporting Pakistan only after it secured an IMF programme, while the Washington-based lender has been seeking a commitment from Saudi Arabia.