ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Bahrain agreed on Wednesday to strengthen security cooperation by signing Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) covering counternarcotics, extradition, mutual legal assistance, and police training.
The two countries also decided to establish a joint working group focused on counterterrorism, border security, coast guard operations, and immigration.
The agreements were announced following delegation-level talks in Islamabad between Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Bahraini Interior Minister Lieutenant General Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa.
“The establishment of the joint working group and signing of MoUs will promote cooperation between the two countries,” the Bahraini interior minister said, according to an official statement from Naqvi’s office.
Naqvi said counternarcotics cooperation was “a matter of the future of our coming generations,” praising Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force for record seizures despite limited resources.
“ANF has made the largest recovery in history of $146 million,” he added.
He welcomed Bahrain’s appointment of a drug liaison officer in Islamabad, calling it an important step for joint efforts.
Bahrain’s Interior Minister, Lieutenant General Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday for a three-day official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation on security, counterterrorism, and regional stability.
Pakistan and Bahrain have maintained close diplomatic, security, trade, and defence ties through training, joint security initiatives, and regular high-level exchanges.
More than 120,000 Pakistanis live in Bahrain, contributing to the Gulf state’s economy and serving as a bridge in bilateral relations.
In July, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also met his Bahraini counterpart, Lieutenant General Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, to further strengthen security collaboration between both countries in various fields.
