Pakistan-Bahrain relationship highlighted: President urges adoption of modern visa mechanisms

ISLAMABAD: Underscoring the importance of Pakistan–Bahrain relations, President Asif Ali Zardari urged the adoption of modern visa mechanisms and digital platforms to ease opportunities for Pakistani professionals and workers in the Gulf state.

The President expressed these views while speaking to General Sheikh Rashid Bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Minister for Interior of Bahrain, who called on him at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Wednesday.

The President lauded the existing cooperation between Pakistan and Bahrain, including the visa abolition agreement for diplomatic and official passport holders, and expressed hope for deeper collaboration in the areas of security, immigration, counterterrorism, and narcotics control. He highlighted that more than 120,000 Pakistanis are currently living and working in Bahrain, making significant contributions to the development and prosperity of both nations.

The President said that Pakistan greatly values its brotherly ties with the Kingdom of Bahrain, which are rooted in history, shared faith, and close people-to-people bonds.

He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to deepening its partnership with Bahrain and invited officials from Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior to visit Islamabad for further exchanges and cooperation.

General Sheikh Rashid Bin Abdulla Al Khalifa conveyed the warm greetings of the leadership and people of Bahrain to President Zardari. He reaffirmed Bahrain’s strong commitment to further strengthening its fraternal relations with Pakistan and appreciated the valuable contributions of the Pakistani community in Bahrain’s development. He expressed Bahrain’s desire to expand cooperation with Pakistan in diverse fields, particularly in security, counterterrorism, and capacity building.

The Bahrain delegation also included Mohamed Ebrahim Mohamed Abdulqader, Ambassador of Bahrain to Pakistan; Major General Hamad bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Deputy Chief of Public Security and Nasser Ahmed Al Junaid, General Supervisor, Ministry of Interior Affairs.

Mohsin Naqvi, Federal Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control, Talal Chaudhry, Minister of State for Interior and Narcotics Control, and Senator Nadeem Mandviwalla attended the meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025