Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa agreed to expand cooperation in economic and defence sectors during the prime minister’s two-day official visit to Bahrain.

Both leaders reviewed the strength of their longstanding partnership and reaffirmed their commitment to deepen bilateral ties grounded in shared faith and mutual respect. During the meeting, King Hamad presented the Order of Bahrain to Prime Minister Shehbaz and recalled that Bahrain held the distinction of having Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah as its legal representative, according to official records.

The prime minister thanked the king for the honour and for the warm reception extended to him. Both sides reviewed the encouraging momentum in bilateral relations and agreed to broaden cooperation in political, economic, defence and cultural fields.

The prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to enhance ties and expressed appreciation for Bahrain’s support in establishing King Hamad University in Islamabad. He highlighted Pakistan’s desire to expand trade and investment and stated that Pakistan was ready to advance bilateral trade under the GCC free trade agreement framework. He also invited Bahraini investors to explore further opportunities in Pakistan.

Prime Minister Shehbaz praised Bahrain’s hospitality towards more than 150,000 Pakistanis residing in the kingdom. He also thanked King Hamad for facilitating the return of Pakistani prisoners.

The two leaders reaffirmed the significance of their longstanding defence partnership and agreed to strengthen cooperation in technical training, logistics, manpower and defence production. They discussed recent developments in Gaza and noted that peace and stability in the region remained vital.

Both leaders expressed confidence that the visit would further consolidate enduring friendship and cooperation between Pakistan and Bahrain.