Pakistan on Saturday struck a deal with Qatar for the supply of eight Super Mushshak aircraft as President Mamnoon arrived in the Gulf country for a four-day official visit.The deal came a day after Pakistan signed a contract with Nigeria for the supply of 10 of the in-demand primary trainer aircraft. Turkey also recently signed a deal to purchase as many as 100 of the indigenously built planes from Pakistan.An official statement described the contracts as a “clear manifestation of Pakistan’s presence in the export-oriented international aviation industry, pursuant to Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman’s vision.” It said the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) is “continuing its efforts to approach more countries to export Mushshak aircraft in order to help generate foreign exchange for the country.” The air forces of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria, Oman and South Africa already operate the Super Mushshak to train their pilots.Meanwhile, President Mamnoon arrived in Qatar on Saturday, kicking off a four-day trip to hold talks with the Gulf country’s leadership and further strengthen bilateral relations between Islamabad and Doha in various fields.The president, who is visiting Doha at the invitation of the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani, was warmly received at the Hamad International Airport by the country’s Minister of Transport and Communication Jassim Saif Ahmed al Sulaiti.Ambassador of Pakistan in Qatar Shehzad Ahmad and senior officials of the embassy were also present. Clad in traditional dresses, two children presented a bouquet to President Mamnoon, who was accompanied by First Lady Begum Mehmooda Mamnoon Hussain.During the visit, the president will hold bilateral meetings with the emir of Qatar and other dignitaries. The two sides will review important aspects of bilateral relations. Regional issues and international developments will also be discussed.Pakistan and Qatar enjoy excellent bilateral relations in all fields. The two countries share identical views on regional and global issues and also closely cooperate and support each other at the international fora like the UN and the OIC.People-to-people contacts have remained an important feature of bilateral relations between the two countries. Qatar hosts more than 125,000 Pakistanis, who have been contributing towards the development and prosperity of the two countries.The high level exchanges between the two countries, which started with the visit of the emir of Qatar to Pakistan in March 2015 and a return visit by PM Nawaz to Qatar in February 2016, are a testimony of growing relations between the two brotherly countries.According to Pakistani officials, the main focus of the president’s official talks and interaction with the Qatari leadership will be on further enhancement of bilateral relations in various fields, including energy cooperation, trade investment, defence and increase in employment opportunities for Pakistani workforce in Qatar. The visit will help further consolidate the already existing brotherly relations, the officials added.Published in The Express Tribune, October 23, 2016.