ISLAMABAD: Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on Wednesday awarded the Order of Bahrain (First Class) to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during a meeting in Manama, where the two leaders reaffirmed their historic partnership and reviewed political, economic and defense cooperation, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
Pakistan and Bahrain established diplomatic ties in 1971 and maintain close economic, labor and defense cooperation. Bahrain hosts more than 120,000 Pakistanis, making it an important source of remittances for Islamabad.
Economic engagement between the two nations has accelerated this year following the Pakistan–Bahrain Investment Summit, where firms signed $13 million worth of contracts, and with the Pakistan–GCC Free Trade Agreement now at an advanced stage of finalization.
“The King of Bahrain conferred upon Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif the Order of Bahrain (first class), which is the highest award given by Bahrain to Heads of States and governments,” Sharif’s office said after he met Hamad.
The monarch highlighted a historic connection between the two countries, noting that the Kingdom of Bahrain “had the privilege of being represented at a legal forum by none other than Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah,” the founder of Pakistan, who served as Bahrain’s lawyer.
