Imran, Mahathir to hold talks today

PM arrives in Kuala Lumpur on two-day visit

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Monday on a two-day official visit to Malaysia on the invitation of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to further enhance and solidify the long-standing brotherly relations between the two nations.

The prime minister was received by Malaysian Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu and senior officials upon arrival at Bunga Raya Complex, Kuala Lumpur International Airport. High Commissioner of Pakistan in Malaysia Amna Baloch and officers of the High Commission were also present.

On his second visit to Malaysia since becoming the prime minister in August 2018, Imran is leading a high-level delegation, including Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Planning Minister Asad Umar, Adviser on Commerce Razzak Dawood, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood and others.



According to Bernama, the Malaysian national news agency, Imran is scheduled to meet his Malaysian counterpart, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in Putrajaya on Tuesday (today) morning. He is also scheduled to give a talk at the Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) on peace and security.

“The two leaders share great camaraderie as both have similar views in many areas, such as on combating corruption and issues concerning Muslim Ummah like Islamophobia, Palestine and the Rohingya’s plight,” the Bernama report said.

Imran is expected to follow up on his talks during Mahathir’s visit to Islamabad in March last year, where both leaders had agreed to elevate bilateral relations to a strategic partnership that will mark a new level of cooperation in the trade of palm oil, agricultural products, retail, halal products, automotive parts, energy, science and technology, and telecommunication investment, it added.



The Foreign Office in Islamabad said that the two prime ministers will have a tete-e-tete, followed by delegation-level talks. They will witness signing of important agreements, memorandums of understanding, and have a joint press stakeout.

“The prime minister’s visit is another sign of robust engagement between Pakistan and Malaysia, and the shared commitment to further fortify the strategic partnership between the two countries,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.

Imran will highlight the dire human rights and humanitarian situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir, emphasise the importance of averting risks to regional peace and stability posed by Indian belligerence, and underscore the importance of peaceful resolution of Kashmir dispute, it added.

Malaysia and Pakistan enjoy dynamic economic cooperation since the signing of the Malaysia-Pakistan Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (MPCEPA) in November 2007. It encompasses liberalisation in the trade of goods and services, investment, and bilateral technical cooperation and capacity building, the Bernama report said.