{"id":129250,"date":"2026-07-12T13:30:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T08:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/?p=129250"},"modified":"2026-07-12T13:30:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T08:30:11","slug":"former-emir-of-qatar-sheikh-hamad-bin-khalifa-al-thani-dies-at-74","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/129250\/","title":{"rendered":"Former emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, dies at 74"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Web desk(National Times)- Qatar\u2019s government on Sunday announced the death of former leader Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who led the country from 1995 to 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWith hearts steadfast in faith in God\u2019s decree and destiny, the Bureau of the emir mourns the great loss to the nation of the late \u2014 may God have mercy on him \u2014 His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani,\u201d read a statement published by the emir\u2019s office on social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The former leader was seen as one of the key architects of modern Qatar and led the country during a period of rapid economic growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sheikh Hamad took power in June 1995, overthrowing his father in a bloodless coup while the latter was abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He inherited a small, largely marginal emirate with nearly empty coffers and transformed it into a major player on the regional and international stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During his time in office, the international broadcaster&nbsp;<em>Al Jazeera<\/em>&nbsp;was launched in 1996, following a decree issued by the emir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In June 2013, Sheikh Hamad surprised many by voluntarily&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/beta.dawn.com\/news\/1020675\/sheikh-hamad-emir-who-made-qatar-world-player\">abdicating<\/a>&nbsp;in favour of his son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, a first in the recent history of the Arab world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On behalf of the government and the people of Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar extended condolences to the Al Thani family, the emir and the government and the people of Qatar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDeeply saddened by the passing away of His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani,\u201d PM Shehbaz posted on X, remembering the former emir as \u201ca great leader and statesman whose wisdom, foresight and dedication to public service, transformed Qatar into a modern, prosperous and globally respected nation\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHis enduring contributions to the welfare of his nation and its people, as well as to regional peace, development and international cooperation, will be remembered for generations to come. [\u2026] We will always cherish the his warmth, kindness and deep affection for Pakistan, as well as the fond memories of his many visits to our country,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Similarly, DPM Dar recalled that during his reign, Sheikh Hamad played a pivotal role in Qatar\u2019s modern development and in strengthening the bonds of friendship with Pakistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHis visionary leadership and contributions to regional peace will be long remembered,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his condolence message, President Zardari also paid tribute to Sheikh Hamad\u2019s \u201cvisionary leadership and his valuable contributions to the progress and development of Qatar, as well as to regional peace and cooperation\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Qatar is one of the smallest Arab states with a population of around three million people, most of whom are foreign workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The country was a British protectorate for 55 years until 1971.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It has been ruled by a monarchy, the Al Thani family, since the mid-19th century.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Web desk(National Times)- Qatar\u2019s government on Sunday announced the death of former leader Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who led the country from 1995 to 2013. \u201cWith hearts steadfast in faith in God\u2019s decree and destiny, the Bureau of the emir mourns the great loss to the nation of the late \u2014 may God [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":129251,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-129250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","entry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.0 - 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