KARACHI: Pakistan and Bahrain on Wednesday agreed to deepen cooperation in trade, investment and security during talks between President Asif Ali Zardari and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, as the Bahraini monarch conferred the kingdom’s highest civilian award on the Pakistani leader, the President’s Secretariat said.
Pakistan and Bahrain maintain close diplomatic, defense and labor ties, with cooperation spanning security, trade and manpower. More than 116,000 Pakistanis live and work in Bahrain, forming one of the largest South Asian expatriate communities in the kingdom. Remittances from Gulf states, including Bahrain, remain a key source of foreign exchange for Pakistan.
Trade between the two countries remains modest but has been growing, with Pakistan exporting rice, textiles, meat and agricultural products to Bahrain, while importing aluminum products and petrochemical-related goods. Islamabad has been seeking to attract Bahraini investment into priority sectors amid broader Gulf outreach.
“President Asif Ali Zardari met His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and held comprehensive discussions aimed at further strengthening the close and fraternal relationship between Pakistan and the Kingdom of Bahrain,” the President’s Secretariat said in a statement after the meeting in Manama.
