Bahrain deports 180 Pakistanis serving in BDF

The Government of Bahrain has deported 180 Pakistanis serving in Bahrain Defence Forces (BDF) on disciplinary grounds. Officials of both countries in Islamabad told reporters that the Pakistanis were sacked and deported to Pakistan for violating the disciplinary norms. A Pakistani official said this was not a political matter but rather an administrative matter. This incident was first of its nature that Pakistanis in such large number were deported from Bahrain. The BDF comprises of army, navy and air force and royal guard units. The Public Security Forces (PSF) and coast guards are not part of it. Apart from it, the national guards – consisting of 1,200 personnel – are also functioning. Pakistanis in large number are performing duties in the police and other law-enforcement agencies of Bahrain but the precise number of Pakistanis serving in security forces of Bahrain is not known. Dozens of people have been killed so far and injured in the anti-government riots erupted in February 2011 in Bahrain. In the meantime, several hundred Pakistanis were recruited in the National Guards of Bahrain through Fauji Foundation Pakistan. The demonstrators in reprisal to the action taken by Bahrain police and security forces against the anti-government demonstrations targeted Pakistanis living therein. Several Pakistanis were killed and injured in these attacks. Bahrain has overcome the situation to large extent but the anti-government rallies are still continuing there. As per population census-2012, total population of Bahrain comes to 1,200,000 and the expatriates constitute more than half of the population of the country. Most of them are Asian countries. Authorities said over 50,000 Pakistanis are settled in Bahrain and most of them are living there for the last several years. Bahrain is the only Arab country which grants citizenship rights to citizens of some Muslim countries, including Pakistan.