Islamabad, 20 November 2021 (TDI): On the invitation of National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar, Bahrain’s Speaker of the Council of Representatives, Fawzia Bint Abdullah Zainal, is leading a legislative delegation to Pakistan.
According to an official statement provided by the Prime Minister’s Office, the delegation, which arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday, 17 November, agreed to increase bilateral engagement with Pakistan in the fields of trade and investment.
The Speaker of the Council of Representatives of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Her Excellency, Ms. Fawzia Bint Abdullah Zainal, along with a parliamentary delegation, called on Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI, today. The PM warmly welcomed the Speaker and her delegation. 🇵🇰🤝🇧🇭 pic.twitter.com/ewyTl5stq4
— Prime Minister’s Office, Pakistan (@PakPMO) November 18, 2021
Bahrain’s speaker of the council also expressed her country’s leadership’s warm greetings to Prime Minister Imran Khan.
“Reciprocating the warm sentiments of the Bahraini leadership, the Prime Minister reiterated his invitation to the King and the Crown Prince of Bahrain to visit Pakistan” the statement stated. “He extended particular gratitude to Bahrain’s leadership for the care given to the 120,000-strong Pakistani Diaspora, particularly during the challenging days of the global pandemic”.
Pakistan’s prime minister also expressed his country’s wish to strengthen ties with Bahrain.
The Bahraini official stated that her visit to Pakistan was a reaffirmation of the two countries’ long and historic fraternal connections, as well as their continuous and close collaboration bilaterally and at multilateral fora.
Bahrain’s King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa paid a visit to Pakistan in 2014.
In July 2016, the two sides met at the foreign ministry in Islamabad for bilateral political consultations to establish the strategic future of their relationship.
On Afghanistan
To avoid a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the two parties urged for a constructive participation of the international community and a collaborative response.
In the face of acute economic issues in Afghanistan, the prime minister called for constructive international engagement and immediate actions to prevent a growing humanitarian crisis.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the importance of unfreezing Afghanistan’s financial assets during his meeting with the Speaker.
The Speaker agreed with the Prime Minister that the Islamic world should respond constructively and collectively to the crisis in Afghanistan, as well as support for Muslim causes.
On Kashmir and Islamophobia
The prime minister briefed the visiting dignitary on the ongoing and egregious human rights violations in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), emphasising the need for the international community, particularly the Muslim world, to raise its voice in support of the Kashmiri people’s fundamental rights.
He also identified Islamophobia as the most serious issue confronting Muslims worldwide, emphasising the need of Ummah unity and solidarity in confronting such issues together.
The Parliamentary Delegation will meet with President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi, Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Imran Khan, Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani, Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Members of the Pakistan-Bahrain Parliamentary Friendship Group in the National Assembly, and other dignitaries during their stay in Islamabad.
During the Bahrain Parliamentary Delegation’s Calls on, matters like as inter-parliamentary cooperation, bilateral relations, commerce, regional security challenges, and strategies and cooperation in various economic spheres will be discussed.
In Islamabad, the delegation will also visit historical and cultural sites.
Mrs. Fawzaia bint Abdullah Zainal, Speaker of the Bahraini Council of Representatives, is leading a delegation that includes Ahmad Zayed, Second Deputy Speaker of the Bahraini Council of Representatives, Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Sisi, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Khaled Saleh, Chairman of the Public Utilities and Environment Committee, Ghazi Faisal Al Rahma, Member of the Bahrain-Pakistan Parliamentary Friendship Group, Syed Falah Hashem Falah and Abdualah Members of Bahrain Parliament.
According to the National Assembly’s statement, this visit by the Parliamentary delegation is seen as a sign of change and will serve as a watershed moment in the two countries’ relations.
This visit would also pave the way for greater political and legislative collaboration and coordination between the two sister countries.
