President Zardari arrives in Bahrain on four-day official visit

ISLAMABAD/MANAMA: President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Bahrain’s capital, Manama, on Tuesday for a four-day official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between Pakistan and the Gulf kingdom.

According to a post by the Presidency on social media platform X, President Zardari was received on arrival by Bahrain’s National Guard Commander Sheikh Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. The post was accompanied by a video showing that First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari is also accompanying the president during the visit.

State broadcaster Pakistan Television (PTV) reported that President Zardari is scheduled to hold meetings with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who also serves as the prime minister. The president is also expected to address a reception at the headquarters of Bahrain’s Economic Development Board in Manama.

Shortly after his arrival, President Zardari met with the commander of Bahrain’s National Guard, marking the beginning of his official engagements.

Earlier this week, the Foreign Office said the visit would focus on discussions covering bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest. “The visit seeks to reinforce Pakistan’s longstanding cooperation with the brotherly Gulf nation while expanding opportunities for collaboration in trade and economic partnership, defence and security, and people-to-people ties,” the FO said in a statement.

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Pakistan and Bahrain have maintained close diplomatic and economic relations over the years, with cooperation spanning trade, security and labour sectors. Islamabad has been seeking to enhance economic engagement with Gulf countries as part of its broader strategy to attract investment and strengthen external ties.

In November last year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Bahrain for two days, during which he reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to deepening relations with the kingdom. During that visit, the prime minister emphasised Pakistan’s interest in expanding trade and investment, noting that bilateral trade was expected to grow under the Pakistan-Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement.

More recently, in September, Bahrain’s interior minister visited Pakistan, where both sides agreed to enhance cooperation in areas such as counter-terrorism, anti-narcotics efforts and immigration.

President Zardari’s visit is expected to further build on these engagements and provide momentum to ongoing efforts to broaden cooperation between the two countries across multiple sectors.