King of Bahrain, Shaikh Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa on Tuesday arrived on a three-day official visit to Pakistan along with a high-level delegation to further strengthen bilateral relations in various fields including trade and investment. Upon his arrival, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif warmly received the distinguished guest at the Nur Khan Airbase. Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif, federal ministers and services chiefs were also present on the occasion.
Twenty-one gun salute boomed as the King of Bahrain alighted from the plane. Two children attired in traditional dresses presented a bouquet to the visiting dignitary while national anthems of the two countries were played on the occasion. A smartly turned-out contingent from the three services presented a guard of honour to the distinguished guest. King of Bahrain Shaikh Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa reviewed the guard of honour and took the salute.
According to Foreign Office spokesperson, Tasnim Aslam, the King of Bahrain is accompanied by a high-level delegation including members of cabinet, government officials and important businessmen. It is the first ever visit of King of Bahrain to Pakistan in four decades. During his stay, he would hold talks with the President and the Prime Minister on bilateral relations and matters of regional and international importance.
"The visit will provide a good opportunity to explore ways and means to further strengthen co-operation in diverse areas of interest particularly in expanding bilateral trade and enhance investments in Pakistan," she said, adding that the accompanying Bahraini businessmen would meet their Pakistani counterpart. She stated that the two sides would also discuss ways to increase the export of Pakistani manpower to Bahrain and to facilitate the 100,000 strong Pakistani community, residing in the Kingdom of Bahrain, which served as a bridge between the two brotherly countries and plays a positive role in the development of Bahrain as well as contributed to Pakistan's economy.
After the Saudi Crown Prince, the trip of the King of Bahrain is second high-profile visit from an important member of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC). In recent months, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are agreed on Syria policy.
The back-to-back high profile visits from Saudi Arabia (with the $1.5 billion gift) and Bahrain have fuelled speculations of the possibility of Pakistan's support for Syria. However, Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security Sartaj Aziz rejected the impression while giving a briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs on Monday, saying the visit of the King had nothing to do with the Syrian issue or that with the differences among the GCC countries.
The Foreign Office spokesperson refused to comment on the differences between the GCC countries, saying it was their internal matter. She stated that Pakistan had long standing brotherly relations with all the GCC countries and would continue to endeavour to further strengthen its ties with these countries particularly in the realm of trade, energy and economic co-operation.
She pointed out that the Bahraini King's visit was of special significance since it would be the first official visit of the King of Bahrain to Pakistan in four decades. She also expressed optimism that the visit would give a new impetus to the existing fraternal bonds between the two countries. Meanwhile, sources said that a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) would be signed between the two countries during the visit. Additionally, a memorandum of understanding would also be signed for deepening co-operation in the fields of economy and development while the Privatisation Commission would give a presentation to the visiting Bahraini business delegation, showing it the window of opportunities Pakistan is offering.