Islamabad: More than 80 Pakistani prisoners in Bahrain have been released under a royal pardon granted by King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa on Eid Al Fitr, the Foreign Office here said on Tuesday.
The release of the 82 Pakistanis is a result of efforts by Ambassador Javed Malek, who personally visited the inmates in May 2016 and took up the matter with the relevant authorities in Bahrain, a statement issued by the Foreign Office said.
The released Pakistanis will soon be reunited with their families as efforts are now underway to repatriate them, the statement said.
The Foreign Office lauded the cooperation by Bahraini authorities, particularly the interior minister of the Gulf state.
“The families of the prisoners are grateful to His Majesty King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa for his cooperation, benevolence and commitment to justice and fairness,” the statement said.
Last year, Pakistan and Bahrain signed several agreements and MoUs for promotion of bilateral relations during delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Bahrain Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa in Manama.
Both the countries also signed an agreement to declare Islamabad and the Bahraini capital Manama as twin cities.
