Pakistan, Bahrain look to turn political warmth into business

October 09, 2026 (MLN): Pakistan and Bahrain have expressed the desire to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade, investment, economic engagement and security, with President Asif Ali Zardari saying Islamabad is keen to translate strong political ties into deeper commercial links.

President Zardari met Bahrain's Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani at Aiwan-e-Sadr, where the two held a restricted meeting followed by a delegation-level meeting. Al-Zayani is in Pakistan to attend the 3rd Session of the Pakistan-Bahrain Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC), said a press release issued.

He was accompanied by Bahrain's Ambassador to Pakistan Mohammed Ibrahim Mohammed Abdulqader, Advisor to the Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Hamad Ali Al Mannai, Major General Abdulaziz Mayoof Al-Rumaihi, Shaikh Hamad bin Salman Al Khalifa, Eng Mohammed Mirza Al-Oraibi and Yousif Salahuddin Ibrahim Salahuddin.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Senator Sherry Rehman, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Syed Naveed Qamar MNA, the Economic Affairs secretary and other senior officials represented Pakistan.

President Zardari pointed to opportunities in food security, IT and digital services, construction, mining, port handling, research and development, tourism and healthcare, and encouraged greater business-to-business engagement.

He welcomed Bahrain's warm reception of the Islamabad MoU and the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, and its recognition of Pakistan's efforts for regional peace and stability.

The president described the defence partnership between the two countries as long-standing and trusted, reflected in joint exercises, high-level exchanges and institutional cooperation.

He said Pakistan was ready to deepen cooperation in manpower, logistics, training and defence hardware.

He also appreciated Bahrain's support for more than 134,000 Pakistanis living in the kingdom and welcomed continued cooperation on diaspora matters.

On the regional situation, President Zardari said Pakistan remained committed to constructive engagement with all parties to build trust, bridge gaps and promote lasting peace and security.

Dr. Al-Zayani conveyed greetings from King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

He said the JMC meetings had been highly productive and that president Zardari's visit to Bahrain had left a significant positive impact on ties.

He commended Pakistan's efforts to bring warring parties to the table, saying they had helped save many lives, and congratulated Pakistan on its successful tenure as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

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