• PM Shehbaz meets King Hamad and Crown Prince Salman, reaffirms strong, historic partnership
• Invites Bahraini investors to explore opportunities in food security, IT, minerals and healthcare; proposes enhanced port connectivity
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to deepening ties with the Kingdom of Bahrain, based on shared faith and mutual respect.
The prime minister, who is in Bahrain on a two-day official visit, met King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in Manama and reaffirmed the strong and historic partnership between the two countries, the PM Office said.
Discussing economic relations, the prime minister underlined Pakistan’s desire to expand trade and investment and said bilateral trade was set to grow with the Pakistan-GCC Free Trade Agreement, which is at an advanced stage of finalisation.
He invited Bahraini investors to explore opportunities in Pakistan through the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), especially in food security, information technology, construction, mining, tourism and healthcare.
The prime minister appreciated Bahrain’s support for the more than 150,000 Pakistanis living there and thanked the king for pardoning Pakistani prisoners.
Both sides reaffirmed the importance of their longstanding defence partnership and agreed to deepen cooperation in training, logistics, manpower and defence production. They reviewed the encouraging momentum in bilateral ties and agreed to further enhance cooperation in political, economic, defence and cultural fields.
The situation in Gaza also came under discussion. Both sides agreed that peace and stability were long overdue for the people of Gaza who had suffered for decades.
PM Shehbaz congratulated Bahrain on securing a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2026-27 term and expressed Pakistan’s readiness for close coordination during its tenure.
The meeting also focused on economic cooperation. The prime minister noted the potential to raise bilateral trade, currently over $550 million, to $1 billion honour upon his arrival at Al-Qudaibiya Palace.
Meeting with crown prince
PM Shehbaz also met Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. The meeting concluded with confidence that the discussions would translate into tangible outcomes and further elevate Pakistan-Bahrain relations across strategic, economic, security and people-to-people spheres.
According to state broadcaster PTV, the premier received a warm welcome at the Manama airport by Crown Prince and PM Salman, Deputy PM Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, and senior members of the Bahraini leadership.
The Pakistani delegation includes Deputy PM and FM Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Minister of State for Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, and other senior officials.
“This visit reflects the longstanding cordial relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and Pakistan, with the aim of promoting a results-oriented and strategic partnership between the two countries,” PTV said.
“The visit will strengthen traditionally warm and cordial relations, chart new avenues of partnership, and deepen people-to-people connections, which will contribute to mutually beneficial cooperation,” it added.
Last month, the two countries agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in different fields during the first meeting of the Pakistan-Bahrain Parliamentary Friendship Group.
Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2025
