Bahrain presents highest state honour to PM Shehbaz Sharif

MANAMA: King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa conferred the Order of Bahrain (first class), the highest award given to heads of state and governments, on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The award was conferred upon the premier during a meeting with King Al-Khalifa in Manama.

During the meeting, Pakistan and Bahrain have agreed to further enhance cooperation in political, economic, defence, and cultural fields.

The Prime Minister reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to deepening bilateral ties based on shared faith and mutual respect.

He thanked the King for Bahrain’s generous support, including the establishment of the King Hamad University for Nursing and Allied Medical Sciences in Islamabad, inaugurated in September this year.

Shehbaz Sharif also welcomed recent high-level exchanges and expressed gratitude for Bahrain’s solidarity following the recent terrorist incidents in Pakistan.

Discussing economic relations, the Prime Minister highlighted Pakistan’s desire to expand trade and investment. He said that bilateral trade is poised to grow with the Pakistan-GCC Free Trade Agreement, which is currently in the last stages of finalization.

He invited Bahraini investors to explore opportunities through the Special Investment Facilitation Council, especially in food security, IT, construction, mining, tourism, and healthcare.

Both leaders reaffirmed the importance of the longstanding defence partnership and agreed to continue strengthening cooperation in training, logistics, manpower, and defence production.

Both leaders discussed the recent developments in Gaza, and agreed that the establishment of peace and stability was long overdue for the people of Gaza who have suffered for decades.

King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa informed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that Bahrain had the privilege of being represented at a legal forum by none other than Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He remarked that Muhammad Ali Jinnah remained Bahrain’s lawyer for a long time.