ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Bahrain on Thursday signed the agreed minutes of the third session of their Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC), agreeing to set up a joint working group on trade and investment and to push for the early finalisation of the GCC-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement, as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Bahraini Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani addressed a joint press conference.
Agreements and outcomes
Al Zayani said the minutes covered more than 15 fields. The two sides agreed to establish a joint working group on trade and investment and to convene the joint working group on energy next month, covering oil, gas and minerals. They also agreed to advance cooperation in food security, information technology, law enforcement, media, labour mobility, health, education, culture and sports.
“We also committed to finalising the GCC-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement and will review progress at the fourth session in the Kingdom of Bahrain,” he said. Al Zayani added that Bahrain, which holds the GCC presidency, was working to speed up approval of the agreement, and that the two countries had a mandate from their prime ministers to double trade within three years.
Dar said the sides had covered agriculture, energy, sports, tourism and business-to-business ties. “We agreed to establish joint working groups in specific sectors,” he said, adding that the goal was to double bilateral trade in the coming period. The two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to cooperation in labour mobility, vocational training and human resource development to create opportunities for skilled Pakistani professionals and workers.
Next session in 2027
The JMC was held after a gap of five years. Dar said the two sides would try to make it an annual event, and that he had committed to visiting Manama for the fourth session in 2027. “My brother has taken a commitment from me that unlike today’s session, which has been held after five years, the next one I have to find a day in 365 days during 2027,” he said. “I am committed to that, and you are all witnesses, Inshallah, I will fulfill my promise.”
Regional issues
Dar said the two sides exchanged views on the evolving situation in the Gulf and stressed restraint, de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy. They discussed the need to ensure safety and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb, given their importance to global food and energy security. “Pakistan remains committed to playing a constructive role in supporting diplomatic efforts for peace and stability in the region,” he said.
Al Zayani said commercial vessels continued to come under attack in both straits. He said Bahrain appreciated Pakistan’s principled positions during the crisis, including its support for Security Council Resolution 2817 and its efforts to facilitate US-Iran dialogue, including by hosting the Islamabad talks. As fellow non-permanent members of the Security Council, the two countries would continue close coordination, he said.
He also strongly condemned the attacks on Abha International and King Khalid International airports in Saudi Arabia on October 6 and 7, which left citizens and residents dead and injured, as well as Houthi attacks on civilians and civilian facilities in the kingdom and on Makkah and Madinah. “Targeting airports and civilian facilities is a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law, and a threat to the safety of civil aviation,” he said, adding that Bahrain stood in full solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
Palestine, Afghanistan and Indus Waters Treaty
On Palestine, Dar said Pakistan reaffirmed its principled support for the Palestinian people and their inalienable rights. The two sides expressed concern over the expansion of illegal settlements and attempts to alter the status of Al-Quds Al-Sharif, and stressed the need for unhindered humanitarian assistance to Gaza and a just and lasting solution in line with UN resolutions.
On South Asia, Dar said Pakistan underscored the need to ensure that Afghan territory was not used against it. On the Indus Waters Treaty, he said he told his Bahraini counterpart that “India’s unilateral decision to place the treaty in abeyance constitutes a material breach of international law and represents a dangerous attempt to weaponize shared water resources”. He said such actions jeopardised the water, food and energy security of Pakistan’s 250 million people.
‘Very healthy and strong’ ties
Asked how he would describe bilateral relations, Al Zayani said: “In two words, it’s very healthy and strong.” He said the ties were valued by Bahrain’s king, crown prince and people, and cited Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit in November 2025 and President Asif Ali Zardari’s in January 2026.
“We have a very truthful relationship. We are so frank with each other. We understand the constraints on each other and we work accordingly,” he said. He said more than 140,000 Pakistanis worked in Bahrain, and that the two countries were now looking for “more delivery”.
Dar said Al Zayani had stayed in touch during the India-Pakistan war in 2025 and Pakistan’s US-Iran mediation, asking about developments. “We are connected on all international fora, we support each other, we consult each other,” he said.
Al Zayani said the countries would mark 55 years of diplomatic relations on October 14, and noted the King Hamad University for Nursing and Allied Medical Sciences in Islamabad. He was to call on President Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir later in the day. Dar said the two countries remained committed to taking trade and economic ties “to new heights”.
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