Kabir cancels official Qatar trip over visa issue

Sri Lanka's Minister of Public Enterprise Development Kabir Hashim was forced to cancel an official trip to Qatar after the Qatar embassy in Colombo failed to provide the visa on time, sources close to the Minister’s office said.
They said the Minister had been invited by the Qatari Minister of Finance for an oration by the latter with the event to be held on Sunday March 12. However after submitting the visa application on Monday March 6, the Minister was yet to receive approval by Friday with his flight scheduled on the same night. 
The sources said that when the Minister called the embassy on Friday and asked to speak to the Ambassador, the latter hadn’t come to the phone. Qatar embassy officials were not immediately contactable for clarification.
The Minister then cancelled his trip and by Monday March 13 was yet to receive passport his passport from the embassy. Mr. Hasim was the Minister in attendance to the ruler of Qatar on his last state visit to Colombo. – ENDS -