His Majesty King was speaking as he paid a visit to the headquarters of Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, in the presence of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The visit to the headquarters of Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff was part of HM King’s current official state visit to Pakistan.
Upon arrival, HM the King was welcomed by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Rashid Mahmood, Pakistani Army Chief General Raheel Sharif, Commander of Pakistani Navy Admiral Mohammad Asif and Commander of Pakistan’s Air Force Air Marshal Tahir Rafique.
An official reception ceremony was held in honour of HM the King, during which the two national anthems were played.
HM the King reviewed a guard of honour who lined up to salute him.
Then, HM the King shook hands with senior Pakistani Army officers.
After that, HM the King met with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and senior commanders of the Pakistani Amry, and delivered the following speech:
“In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful and the Most Compassionate
“Praise due to Allah, and prayer and peace upon the Messenger of Allah and upon his family, companions and allies.”
“Your Excellency the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
“Peace and God’s mercy and blessings be upon you
“We are visiting the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on the invitation of His Excellency the Prime Minister for further meetings and consultations between the two countries at various levels, having built together, over many years, solid relations and strategic alliances, based on the principles of Islamic brotherhood and common destiny.
“It gives us great pride, for what we saw during our discussions and meetings in Pakistan in regards to the desire and sincere determination, to work towards boosting the levels of cooperation between the two countries to advanced stages of the strategic partnership, based on mutual respect and mutual benefits. We also thank the Joint Military Committee which has pioneered cooperation and coordination in the military and security arenas, in addition to exchange of expertise, information and technologies.
“The established ties and strong relations that join our two friendly countries enhance our confidence in the importance of working together to promote and expand the horizon of our cooperation to cover many areas to include the industries of military manufacturing and training amongst others, particularly in light of the situation and the developments taking place in our region.
And we look forward to identifying a comprehensive joint outlook on the progress of security and military cooperation and coordination in various related fields.
“In this context, we are grateful for your efforts and keenness. We praise your role in the fight against terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, to achieve security and stability in our region. We appreciate Pakistan’s role in securing regional stability and security from all dangers and threats.
“The Kingdom of Bahrain and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan stand united for all that are necessary to protect our societies and the achievements of our people.
“We must also pay tribute here to the courage and dedication of our brothers, the Pakistani workforce in Bahrain that contributes effectively in the building and development process as well as protecting our societies from terrorism; they have the great appreciation and respect of the people of Bahrain.
“May God protect Pakistan and its people; guard its path of righteousness.
“Peace, God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.”
Then, HM the King was briefed about the duties and functions of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Pakistani Army, as well as the areas of training, programmes and advanced military sciences.
HM the King then wrote a statement in the VIP register of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Pakistani Army.
HM King Hamad expressed pride at visiting Pakistan and meeting President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Mohammed Nawaz Sharif, senior Pakistani government officials and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, led by General Rashid Mahmood.
HM the King expressed sincere thanks and appreciation to Pakistan for warm welcome and hospitality accorded to him during the visit.
He also lauded the friendly and constructive atmosphere in which bilateral talks were held, which, HM the King said, reflects the solid Bahraini-Pakistani relations, expressing hope that bilateral ties will continue to grow for the common benefits of the two friendly countries.