Islamabad, 8 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Pakistan and Bahrain have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral trade and economic cooperation, with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar expressing Islamabad’s resolve to take economic relations with the Gulf kingdom to a new level. Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, who arrived in Pakistan for a two-day visit, co-chaired the third session of the Pakistan-Bahrain Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) with Ishaq Dar in Islamabad. Addressing a joint press briefing, Dar thanked his Bahraini counterpart and his delegation for their constructive participation in the JMC meeting. He described Pakistan and Bahrain as brotherly countries with longstanding relations and said both countries regularly cooperate on international platforms. Dar said Pakistan-Bahrain friendship remained strong and forward-looking, adding that Islamabad was committed to building a more prosperous future with Bahrain and taking bilateral trade and economic ties to a new height.He said Pakistan looked forward to hosting the next JMC session in Bahrain in 2027. He noted that the latest meeting was held after a gap of five years and stressed that future sessions should be convened regularly. The deputy prime minister said Pakistan remained committed to increasing bilateral trade with Bahrain to $1 billion. He noted that the two countries had agreed to double bilateral trade within three years, but one year of the period had already passed. Referring to the challenging regional environment, Dar said delays in achieving the trade target could be attributed to the turbulent situation in the region. He also highlighted the potential of a free trade agreement between Pakistan and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), saying negotiations on the agreement were close to completion.
According to Dar, the GCC secretary general had informed him that the agreement was almost ready, with only one member state yet to provide its approval. Dar said the conclusion of the Pakistan-GCC Free Trade Agreement would help expand trade and facilitate greater imports and exports between the two sides. He stressed that government-to-government initiatives should be complemented by stronger business-to-business engagement to achieve greater economic benefits. The foreign minister also called for enhanced cooperation in human resource development and urged Bahrain to facilitate the recognition of Pakistani academic degrees and professional qualifications. He further sought increased opportunities for the movement of skilled workers between the two countries. Before the JMC session, Ishaq Dar and Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani held a separate meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to review bilateral relations and discuss matters of mutual interest. The Foreign Office said the two ministers expressed satisfaction over the positive momentum in high-level engagement between Pakistan and Bahrain. The meeting also focused on expanding cooperation in trade, investment and economic relations, besides exploring closer coordination between the two countries at multilateral forums.