PM Shehbaz, Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim vow to enhance bilateral cooperation

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim met in Islamabad on Thursday, vowing to enhance cooperation between their countries, Radio Pakistan reported.

PM Ibrahim arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday night on a three-day official visit at the invitation of PM Shehbaz.

The two leaders’ meeting today covered a wide range of bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest, including issues faced by the Muslim community.

The premiers discussed mechanisms to enhance bilateral cooperation to achieve concrete results in different sectors, Radio Pakistan stated.

While PM Ibrahim appreciated Pakistan’s continued engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) as a Sectoral Dialogue Partner, Shehbaz congratulated him on Malaysia’s upcoming chairmanship of Asean in 2025.

The Malaysian prime minister expressed support for engagement between Pakistan and Asean, as well as for Pakistan’s larger role in the Southeast Asia forum.

According to Radio Pakistan, both premiers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen mutually beneficial partnerships, noting the history of cooperation between their countries.

They emphasised the importance of dialogue and exchanges of visits, as well as underlined the importance of the Joint Ministerial Commission, bilateral consultations and other mechanisms to enhance engagement in the future.

Ahead of their meeting today, PM Shehbaz said he was looking forward to “discussions on strengthening bilateral ties and deepening cooperation”.

In a post on X, the premier noted the visit underscored “our shared commitment to peace, prosperity and regional development”.