Bahrain | Pakistan

Pakistani Fintech company Sadapay on Tuesday said its application was unavailable for users after Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Bahrain were disrupted amid the US-Israel war on Iran. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East began with the US and Israel launching attacks on Iran, triggering a conflict that has expanded to the rest of the Middle East. As the war rages on, Gulf countries have also come under attack, including Bahrain. In a statement shared on its social media handles, the company said, “The SadaPay app is currently unavailable for all users. Our infrastructure runs on AWS in Bahrain, which has been disrupted since the drone strikes on March 1.” AWS is Amazon’s cloud ‌computing ⁠unit and is critical for the operation of many well-known websites and government operations. It is also the company’s main driver of profits. It added that overnight, “conditions in the affected AWS region worsened, causing a full app outage for our users”. As per the statement, Sadapay said that it was “dealing with the d...

An American-operated Patriot air defence battery likely fired the interceptor missile involved in a pre-dawn explosion that injured dozens of civilians and tore through homes in US-ally Bahrain 10 days into the war on Iran, according to an analysis by academic researchers examined by Reuters. Both Bahrain and Washington have blamed an Iranian drone attack for the March 9 blast, which the Gulf kingdom said injured 32 people including children, some seriously. Commenting on the day of the attack, US Central Command said on X that an Iranian drone struck a residential neighbourhood in Bahrain. In response to questions from Reuters, Bahrain on Saturday acknowledged for the first time that a Patriot missile was involved in the explosion over the Mahazza neighbourhood on Sitra island, offshore from the capital Manama and also home to an oil refinery. In a statement, a Bahraini government spokesperson said the missile successfully intercepted an Iranian drone mid-air, saving lives. The damage and injuries sustained ...

Reiterates strong condemnation of attacks carried out against Bahrain

On March 10, as the US-Israel war with Iran entered its second week, the Bahrain government announced the arrest of six persons hailing from Asian countries — five of them Pakistanis — on charges of filming, publishing and reposting “videos related to the effects of the treacherous Iranian aggression”. The Iran conflict — which broke out on February 28 after the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on the Islamic Republic and assassinated then-supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with other top security officials and hundreds of civilians — has now spiralled into a Middle East war. Today, the entire region is on fire as Tehran continues to retaliate with attacks on Israel and at least seven Gulf states, including Bahrain, which has reported intercepting 114 missiles and 190 drones since the beginning of the war. In an X post on March 8, Bahrain had issued a warning against the photographing of “vital sites and facilities” and publishing them on social media. Two days later, a statement issu...

WASHINGTON: Pakistan has outlined the rationale behind its votes on two competing draft resolutions at the United Nations Security Council, stating that both were aimed at curbing regional escalation and promoting an immediate return to dialogue. On March 11, the Security Council adopted a Bahrain-led resolution condemning recent missile and drone attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran on several Gulf states — including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan — and demanding an immediate cessation of all such attacks. Russia also presented a draft resolution on the military escalation in the Middle East at the meeting, but it was vetoed by the US. The resolution received four votes in favour — from Russia, China, Somalia, and Pakistan — while the United States and Latvia voted against it. Nine members abstained Explaining Pakistan’s vote at a Security Council meeting on the “Situation in the Middle East,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s Permanent Representa...

ISLAMABAD - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar spoke with Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani on Monday night and discussed the evolving situation in the region.

Bahrain’s interior ministry has said that the country’s Anti-Cyber Crime Directorate arrested six Asians, including five Pakistanis, after they “filmed, published and reposted videos related to the effects of the treacherous Iranian aggression”. This was shared in a statement on the police media centre’s website on Monday. The statement also alleged that the suspects expressed “sympathy with and glorified those hostile acts in a manner that harms security and public order”. It added that the videos in question were circulated through the suspects’ social media accounts, “contributing to misleading public opinion and spreading fear among citizens and residents”. “Legal procedures have been taken, and the suspects have been referred to the public prosecution,” the statement added. According to the information available on the website, apart from five Pakistanis, a Bangladeshi has also been arrested for the alleged offence. It said the interior ministry “also urged everyone to obtain information from official so...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, the foreign minister of Bahrain, on Monday night to discuss the evolving situation in the region.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, on Tuesday, in a phone call with his Bahraini counterpart, reiterated Pakistan’s call for de-escalation and dialogue for stability in the Middle East amid escalating tensions in the region. Iran, Pakistan’s western neighbour, has been embroiled in a war with the United States and Israel since the latter’s February 28 strikes that assassinated its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In retaliation for the strikes, Iran resorted to targeting neighbouring countries, which house US bases, including Bahrain. According to a statement by the Foreign Office (FO), Dar spoke with Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif Bin Rashid Al Zayani last night, and the two “exchanged views on the developments in the Middle East and the wider region, conveying grave concern over recent attacks, including in Bahrain”. FO added that during the call, Dar “reaffirmed Pakistan’s solidarity with Bahrain and its people”. He also underscored the need for “de‑escalation, dialogue,...

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Belarus on Tuesday joined US President Donald Trump’s newly proposed Board of Peace. The UAE’s foreign ministry said it had accepted an invitation to join the board. It added that the country stood ready to contribute actively to the mission of the Board of Peace, supporting greater cooperation, stability, and prosperity for all, marking Abu Dhabi’s formal alignment with Washington’s new conflict-resolution effort. Bahrain’s foreign ministry said it had accepted Trump’s invitation to the Board of Peace as a founding member. Separately, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed an agreement to join the Board of Peace. A presidential Telegram channel published a video of Lukashenko signing the document, and quoted him as saying he hoped to contribute towards peace in Ukraine. Trump had originally proposed establishing the Board when he announced his plan last September to end the conflict in Gaza. But an invitation sent to world leaders last week outlines a bro...

President Asif Ali Zardari, who is on a four-day visit to Bahrain, highlighted on Thursday that Pakistan’s strategic geographic connectivity, linking South Asia, Central Asia, China and the Middle East, complemented the Gulf country’s financial expertise and regulatory framework. He expressed these views while addressing a reception at the headquarters of Bahrain’s Economic Development Board (EDB), which is an investment promotion agency, a statement by the President’s Office said. In his address, the president underscored Pakistan’s commitment to expanding economic cooperation, investment partnerships and institutional linkages with Bahrain, the statement said. He “noted that the Economic Development Board plays a central role in shaping Bahrain’s economic strategy, attracting foreign investment and supporting diversification across key sectors”. The president further observed that the board’s close coordination with government institutions and the private sector had helped Bahrain strengthen competitiveness...

ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari, Wednesday, met King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa at Al-Qudaibiya Palace, Manama Bahrain and held comprehensive discussions aimed at further strengthening the close and fraternal relationship between Pakistan and the Kingdom of Bahrain.

President Asif Ali Zardari met with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on Wednesday in Manama, with the former reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to broadening cooperation between the two countries across political, economic, defence and cultural fields. The president had arrived in Bahrain’s capital on Tuesday on a four-day state visit. A post on the Presidency’s X account said Zardari was accorded a guard of honour upon his arrival at the royal residence, Al-Qudaibiya Palace, where the meeting was held. “Talks covered trade and investment, defence [cooperation], support for the Pakistani community, and regional and global issues,” the post said. A later statement issued by the Presidency said President Zardari and Bahrain’s king held comprehensive discussions aimed at “further strengthening the close and fraternal relationship” between the two countries. “The talks reflected a shared resolve to deepen cooperation and give practical momentum to bilateral engagement,” it said. The statement noted that Fir...

President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday arrived in Bahrain’s capital Manama on a four-day official visit. In a post on X, the Presidency said President Zardari was received by Bahrain National Guard Commander Sheikh Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani upon their arrival. The video shared with the post showed that First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari was also accompanying the president. State broadcaster PTV said on X that in addition to meeting Bahrain’s king and crown prince, President Zardari will also address a reception held at the headquarters of the Economic Development Board in Manama. Shortly after arriving, President Zardari met with the commander of Bahrain’s National Guard. The Foreign Office said earlier this week that during the visit, the president will hold meetings with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who is also the prime minister. “The discussions will focus on bilateral, regional, and int...

President Asif Ali Zardari has embarked on a four-day official visit to Bahrain, starting Tuesday, accompanied by a senior-level delegation.

President Asif Ali Zardari will undertake an official visit to Bahrain from January 13-16, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement on Monday. According to the FO, the president will be accompanied by a “high-level delegation”. It said that during the visit, the president will hold meeting with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who is also the prime minister. “The discussions will focus on bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual interest,” the FO said. “The visit seeks to reinforce Pakistan’s longstanding cooperation with the brotherly Gulf nation while expanding opportunities for collaboration in trade and economic partnership, defence and security, and people-to-people ties,” it added. Last year in November, Prime Mini­ster Shehbaz Sharif, during a two-day visit to Bahrain, had reiterated Pakis­tan’s commitment to deepening ties with the kingdom. Discussing economic relations, the prime minister had unde­r­lined Pakistan’s desire to exp...

President Asif Ali Zardari will undertake an official visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain from January 13 to 16, 2026, the Foreign Office announced on Monday.

ISLAMABAD - Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Mohamed Ebrahim Mohamed Abdul Qader, called on President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday that Pakistan was “ready to enhance economic cooperation” with Bahrain in various fields, including agriculture, information technology and artificial intelligence. He made the remarks while addressing the business community in Manama. The premier had arrived in the country’s capital a day earlier and held delegation-level talks with Bahrain’s leadership at Al Qudaibiya Palace. In his address, PM Shehbaz said that strategic cooperation had existed between the two countries for decades. Addressing Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, he said: “Pakistan is ready to enhance economic cooperation with Bahrain in the fields of agriculture, information technology, artificial intelligence, financial technology and all other areas where our two countries can really work together, and create synergy through our efforts and our knowledge and our experience and our commitment to support each other.” He said ties between Islama...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that Pakistan is fully prepared to deepen economic cooperation with Bahrain, calling the country a “brotherly nation” with which Pakistan shares long-standing fraternal ties.