‘It was pleasure serving as Ambassador to Bahrain’

Bahrain is a beautiful country with very nice, friendly and warm people, says outgoing Pakistan Ambassador Muhammad Saeed Khan in an exclusive interview with DT News.

He said that during his tenure as an ambassador, he has observed very minutely that the diplomats are honoured and treated very well and it was pleasure serving here as an ambassador and if ever found a chance to come to Bahrain again, he would love to do that.

He will leave Bahrain after his retirement on January 26. Javed Malik, former journalist and Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Trade and Investment in the GCC, will succeed him as the new ambassador.

Khan is an experienced and shrewd diplomat who was privileged to serve the Foreign Service of Pakistan in different diplomatic positions in North Korea, Yemen, Nepal, India and Germany. He is also fluent in German language. He had been ambassador to Maldives before his appointment in Bahrain in May 2014.

He appreciated the qualities of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al  Khalifa, saying that he was very keen on the development and welfare of the Bahraini citizens and it was his candid view that King Hamad is the benevolent monarch who has taken several benevolent initiatives in all the fields and especially in the field of education.

“King Hamad cares for his people just like a family. That is why the Bahraini people respect him like a father,” says the ambassador.  

He said that he was the admirer of the vision, command and leadership of HM King Hamad,  Prime Minister HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who steered clear Bahrain out of the Arab Spring in 2011.

He said that Bahrain and Pakistan had always enjoyed very deep-rooted religious, cultural and defence ties and as an ambassador he has tried to develop them to the best possible levels and he hoped that his successor would do the same. The ambassador said that during his stay in Bahrain the visit of the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was a milestone between the two countries. It brought the two countries closer and enhanced relations at all levels.

He said that Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Rashid visited Bahrain during his period and now the Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman has also come to take part in the Bahrain International Air Show (BIAS) 2016.

He said that during his tenure a 30-member delegation of Pakistani and Bahraini investors from Bahrain visited Islamabad to take part in the Pakistan International Investment Conference arranged by the Pakistan Board of Investment (BOI). Recently Federal Secretary Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Khizar Hayat Khan visited Bahrain for the export of manpower.

He said that the welfare and help of Pakistan community in Bahrain had always been his first priority and he had tried his best to support them whenever and wherever needed. He said that he was thankful to the embassy staff and especially Muhammad Ahad and Maqsood Qadir Shah who had always been very active in solving the problems of the Pakistani nationals in Bahrain.