By The South Asia Times

PUTRAJAYA,  – Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya, reaffirming their shared commitment to further strengthen Pakistan–Malaysia relations across multiple sectors.

Prime Minister Shehbaz, who is on an official visit to Malaysia, was accorded an official welcome ceremony at Perdana Putra before holding one-on-one and delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The Pakistani leader thanked his Malaysian counterpart for the warm reception and hospitality extended to him and his delegation.

The two leaders reviewed the progress made since Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s visit to Pakistan in October 2024 and expressed satisfaction over the steady growth of bilateral cooperation. They agreed to deepen collaboration in trade, investment, and emerging sectors including information technology, telecommunications, the Halal industry, automotive manufacturing, green energy, tourism, higher education, and agriculture.

Both sides agreed to enhance the import quota of Pakistan’s halal meat exports to Malaysia to USD 200 million and welcomed the increase in Pakistani rice exports, which have already exceeded existing quotas.

The leaders also exchanged views on regional and global developments, including the situation in the Middle East. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim commended Pakistan’s constructive role in peace efforts for Palestine. Shehbaz Sharif, in turn, reiterated Pakistan’s consistent position on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and thanked Malaysia for its principled support for a peaceful resolution in line with UN resolutions.

Emphasizing the importance of cooperation at multilateral forums such as the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), both leaders agreed to work closely to address common challenges facing the Islamic world.

Prime Minister Shehbaz congratulated Malaysia on assuming the Chair of ASEAN and thanked Anwar Ibrahim for supporting Pakistan’s bid to become a Full Dialogue Partner of ASEAN.

Following the talks, both leaders witnessed the signing of multiple Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) covering cooperation in diplomat training, tourism, halal certification, higher education, anti-corruption, and support for small and medium enterprises.

On the occasion, the two Prime Ministers jointly launched the Urdu translation of Anwar Ibrahim’s book “SCRIPT,” which outlines his leadership vision and values.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also hosted a special luncheon in honour of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his delegation.