FORWARD THINKING BTM quizzed Pakistani Ambassador, His Excellency Afzaal Mahmood, on developments in business, VIP visits and how his community is dealing with the coronavirus. and 24/7 Help How is the coronavirus affecting the island’s Pakistani community? And how is the embassy helping? Pakistanis in Bahrain are facing the challenge of coronavirus with great responsibility by following government guidelines on social distancing and staying safe at home. So far, very few Pakistanis have been reported infected. Some of our nationals, who were working with smaller companies, have lost their livelihoods. They are being supported by the embassy, with assistance from the Pakistani community. The Pakistani business community is helping jobless workers in paying rent, utility bills and buying essential items for day-to-day use. We have set up a 24/7 hotline to allow access to our nationals. They can call us on 17 244-113. We also keep in close contact through social media. The embassy is open as usual for consular services. Several MoUs were signed during Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to the Kingdom last December. Is work on these still progressing, despite the virus? The signings were an MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Medical Sciences, MoU on Cooperation in Youth Affairs and Sports and an MoU on Cooperation in Education and Higher Education and Science Research. We are actively following up on these despite the outbreak of coronavirus. A robust follow-up action plan is in play to boost Pakistan-Bahrain brotherly ties. Has the scheduled meeting of the Bahrain-Pakistan Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) been put on hold? When do you expect it to take place and what will it concentrate on? The JMC’s second session is now being planned for the last quarter of this year. It will review all aspects and dimensions of cooperation on bilateral, regional and international platforms. Intensification of trade and investment will remain the main focus. His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa is due to visit Pakistan. Is this visit still likely to go ahead? The Prime Minister of Pakistan, during his last visit to Bahrain, extended a warm invitation to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for a visit to Pakistan, which His Majesty very kindly accepted. We are making preparations for the visit at the convenience of His Majesty which will be conveyed by the Royal Court. PM Khan’s visit included a vow to work closely to increase trade and investment between the two nations. What are the current trade figures between the two? A good amount of goods and services are traded between Pakistan and Bahrain, some directly and others through third countries. Under normal circumstances there are 32 weekly direct Gulf Air flights from Pakistan bringing lots of fresh fruit, vegetables and meat. The latest bilateral direct trade figure is USD150 million. I believe we can have greater trade in processed food, textiles, leather goods, sports goods, surgical instruments, home furnishings and in the services sector, including IT, banking, medical and engineering. We are utilising all available resources on both sides to put the business communities in contact with each other. We have facilitated visits of business delegations and participation of businessmen in trade exhibitions and conferences. I am thankful to the Bahraini leadership for treating Pakistanis with dignity and supporting me in my Mission. Please scan the code to read the full interview interview May 2020 19 www.bahrainthismonth.com
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk0MTkxMQ==