Pakistan Army contingent leaves for Qatar to provide security during FIFA World Cup

A Pakistan Army contingent left for Qatar on Monday to provide security during the showpiece FIFA World Cup, which begins next month in the Gulf nation.

The much-anticipated FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place between November 20 and December 18.

This will be the first time that Qatar will be hosting the sporting extravaganza.

The Pakistan contingent comprising army officers, junior commissioned officers and jawans left for Qatar from the Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi.

The Pakistan Army has not released details of the strength of the contingent.

In September, the contingent was trained on security by FIFA's eight-member training team during their visit to Pakistan.

In August, Pakistan government tacitly acknowledged Qatar's request to provide security cover during the FIFA World Cup.

Consequently, a four-member delegation of the Qatar interior ministry had visited Pakistan to discuss this issue.

During that month, Pakistan's cabinet also approved a draft agreement that allowed the government to provide troops to Qatar for security for the showpiece FIFA event.