ISLAMABAD: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar bin Ibrahim will undertake an official visit to Pakistan from October 2-4 at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, said the Foreign Office (FO) on Monday.

The Malaysian prime minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including ministers, deputy ministers, and senior officials, said the FO.

“Prime Minister Ibrahim will hold meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The two sides will discuss a wide-ranging agenda to further strengthen Pakistan-Malaysia ties in diverse fields, including trade, connectivity, energy, agriculture, the halal industry, tourism, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people contacts. They will also discuss regional and global developments,” it added.

Pakistan and Malaysia share strong bilateral ties rooted in history, culture, and faith. The visit is seen as a significant opportunity to bolster these relations across multiple sectors.

This is the first visit by a Malaysian Prime Minister in five years. Last visit was undertaken by then Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Muhamad to Pakistan in March 2019.

Mahathir had developed close ties with former Prime Minister Imran Khan. He launched an initiative to bring likeminded Muslim countries on one platform to advance the Islamic world’s perspective. He hosted a Kuala Lumpur summit in late 2019, inviting leaders from Muslim world.

The then Prime Minister Imran Khan was also invited but had to pull out of the summit after strong protest launched by Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh saw the move as an effort by Mahathir to establish a new Islamic bloc. Pakistan’s mishandling of the issue led to unusual strains with Saudi Arabia.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024