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.
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 finalizing 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.
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.
On 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. Al Zayani strongly condemned attacks on Abha International and King Khalid International airports in Saudi Arabia, calling them a flagrant violation of international law.
On Palestine, Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s principled support for the Palestinian people. On the Indus Waters Treaty, he said India’s unilateral decision to place the treaty in abeyance constitutes a material breach of international law. Asked about bilateral ties, Al Zayani said: “In two words, it’s very healthy and strong.” He noted more than 140,000 Pakistanis work in Bahrain.
