Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said Pakistan and Malaysia had agreed to deepen cooperation in defence, trade, and emerging technologies following what he described as “highly productive” talks with Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya.
“Pakistan can greatly benefit from Malaysia’s expertise in technology, IT, and AI,” Shehbaz said at a joint press conference. “We are eager to learn from Malaysia’s experience and pursue joint ventures and mutually beneficial projects.”
He welcomed Malaysia’s decision to import $200 million worth of meat from Pakistan and assured that Pakistan would make every effort to meet Malaysian conditions. He also noted Malaysia’s increasing import of Pakistani rice and expressed optimism about further expanding agricultural trade.
The prime minister hailed the Urdu translation of Anwar Ibrahim’s book Script, describing it as “a guiding framework for sustainability, mutual respect, compassion, innovation, research and development, progress, prosperity, and mutual trust.”
He praised Anwar’s “visionary leadership” and reaffirmed that Pakistan — “a nation blessed with immense resources and great minds” — was committed to equipping its youth with modern knowledge and partnering with Malaysia for shared prosperity.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, recalling the “historic fraternal relations” between the two nations, said economic cooperation had always been central to their ties.
“It is our joint aspiration to further enhance collaboration in all fields,” he stated, adding that Malaysia would also facilitate beef imports from Pakistan.
He highlighted the potential for cooperation in emerging technologies and commended Pakistan’s stance on Palestine, noting that both countries supported peace efforts.
PM Shehbaz and his Malaysian counterpart, addressed the audience at the Pakistan-Malaysia Business Forum later in the day, calling for greater economic engagement between the two countries.
“Fundamentals remain economic, but we must admit with regret that we have not done enough,” said Prime Minister Anwar. “I am grateful to Prime Minister Shehbaz for advancing this agenda.”
Emphasising the importance of regional cooperation, Mr Anwar added: “One country, one system is futile. We need to broaden our relations.”
In his remarks, Prime Minister Shehbaz appealed to the private sector, stressing that while governments can lay the foundation, “it is the private sector that must drive the engines of growth”.
PM Shehbaz is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi on his three-day official visit. He was received on arrival in Kuala Lumpur by Malaysian Minister of Communications Fahmi Fadzil and Pakistan’s High Commissioner Syed Ahsan Raza Shah.
Earlier, PM Shehbaz was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour at the Perdana Putra Complex, where he inspected contingents of the Malaysian armed forces. Both leaders introduced their delegations before holding one-on-one and delegation-level talks.
The two sides signed memorandums of understanding covering higher education, tourism, halal certification, anti-corruption cooperation and small and medium enterprises. They also discussed expanding ties in trade, telecom, the halal industry, investment, energy, infrastructure, the digital economy and people-to-people contacts.
The visit is expected to provide “new impetus” to Pakistan-Malaysia relations and strengthen cooperation in strategic and future-focused sectors.
Last year, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim visited Pakistan, where he was conferred the Nishan-e-Pakistan for his contributions to Islamic brotherhood and cooperation.
The two countries are also bound by the Malaysia-Pakistan Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (MPCEPA), signed in 2007, which promotes trade in goods and services, regulates investment flows and supports cooperation in intellectual property, healthcare, telecom, tourism and construction.
