PUTRAJAYA, Oct 6 — Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, who is on a three-day official visit to Malaysia, was accorded an official welcome ceremony at the Perdana Putra Complex here today.
Shehbaz, who arrived at 10 am, was received by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, followed by the playing of the national anthems of both countries.
He then inspected a guard of honour mounted by three officers and 103 personnel from the First Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment (Ceremonial), led by Mejar Muhammad Akmal Hakim Sabarudin.
Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi; Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan; Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir; Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing; Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil; Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Mohd Na'im Mokhtar; and Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
The ceremony was also attended by foreign diplomats, senior government officials and representatives from both nations’ ministries and agencies.
Shehbaz’s visit to Malaysia was at the invitation of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and serves as a reciprocal gesture to Anwar’s official visit to Pakistan in October 2024, reflecting the deepening ties between the two nations.
After the ceremony, Shehbaz signed the guest book and then proceeded to a bilateral meeting with Anwar.
Both leaders are expected to review Malaysia-Pakistan bilateral ties and explore new areas of collaboration, particularly in trade and investment, the halal industry, education, tourism and defence.
In addition to exchanging views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, the leaders will witness the exchange of five memorandums of understanding in the fields of tourism, higher education, halal certification, combating and preventing corruption, and small and medium enterprises, as well as the signing of an Exchange of Notes on training for diplomats.
As a symbol of friendship, Shehbaz will also present Anwar with an Urdu version of the book SCRIPT: For a Better Malaysia.
Following the elevation of bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership in March 2019, Malaysia and Pakistan, which established diplomatic ties in 1957, recorded total trade of RM8.07 billion (US$1.76 billion) in 2024, marking a 25.5 per cent increase from the previous year.
Malaysia’s main exports to Pakistan include palm oil, petroleum and chemical products, while imports from Pakistan comprise agricultural goods, textiles, apparel, footwear and petroleum products.
