Bahrain recruits 1,800 Pakistani personnel for National Guard

ISLAMABAD, Oct 8:  Bahrain has recruited 1,800 Pakistani personnel, including 30 retired army officers, for its National Guard, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Thursday.

Dar made the remarks while addressing the third session of the Pakistan-Bahrain Joint Ministerial Commission in Islamabad, which he co-chaired with Bahraini Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.

Dar thanked Bahrain for recruiting the Pakistani personnel and expressed confidence that they would perform their duties with discipline and professionalism.

He also said 13 Pakistani officers and 37 soldiers had joined the Bahrain Coast Guard under a memorandum of understanding signed in June 2026 between the Pakistan Coast Guards and Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior.

The two ministers also discussed regional developments, including the Middle East conflict, and stressed the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and de-escalation. Bahrain’s Al Zayani separately condemned recent attacks on Saudi airports and Houthi attacks on civilian facilities, while expressing solidarity with Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan and Bahrain are also seeking to increase bilateral trade to $1 billion. Dar said around 134,000 Pakistanis live in Bahrain and welcomed the Gulf country’s continued support for Pakistani nationals.

Dar also reiterated Pakistan’s support for the Palestinian people and called for humanitarian assistance to Gaza. On relations with India, he described New Delhi’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty as a breach of international law and warned that it threatened Pakistan’s water, food and energy security.

India placed the 1960 treaty in abeyance in April 2025 following the Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed. India said the decision was linked to what it described as cross-border linkages to the attack, while Pakistan denied involvement.