PUTRAJAYA — Pakistan and Malaysia have agreed to broaden cooperation in defence, trade, and advanced technologies after what Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described as “extremely constructive and forward-looking” talks with his Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim, during his official visit to Putrajaya on Monday.
Speaking at a joint press conference, Prime Minister Shehbaz said Pakistan stands ready to learn from Malaysia’s experience in information technology, artificial intelligence, and innovation. “Malaysia’s success in technology and digital transformation offers valuable lessons for Pakistan,” he noted. “We are eager to collaborate through joint ventures and mutually beneficial projects that can help both nations move forward.”
Highlighting a major breakthrough in trade, Shehbaz welcomed Malaysia’s decision to import $200 million worth of meat from Pakistan, assuring that Islamabad would fully meet Malaysian standards and requirements. He also pointed to the growing import of Pakistani rice by Malaysia and expressed optimism that agricultural trade between the two countries would continue to expand.
The prime minister also appreciated the Urdu translation of Anwar Ibrahim’s book Script, calling it a “guiding document” that emphasizes sustainability, compassion, research, and innovation. Praising Anwar’s leadership, Shehbaz said Pakistan “a country blessed with talent, resources, and ambition” is determined to equip its youth with modern knowledge to build a prosperous future in partnership with friendly nations like Malaysia.
For his part, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reaffirmed the deep-rooted friendship between the two Muslim-majority countries, describing Pakistan and Malaysia as partners with shared values and mutual respect. “It is our collective aspiration to enhance cooperation in all fields,” he said, adding that Malaysia would actively facilitate beef imports from Pakistan.
He also emphasized the growing importance of collaboration in emerging technologies, noting that both countries could benefit from sharing expertise in the digital economy, renewable energy, and halal industries. Anwar praised Pakistan’s consistent position on the Palestine issue, saying both nations continue to advocate for peace and justice.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Shehbaz was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour at the Perdana Putra Complex, where he reviewed the Malaysian armed forces. Both leaders held one-on-one discussions followed by delegation-level talks, which led to the signing of several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) covering cooperation in higher education, tourism, halal certification, anti-corruption efforts, and small and medium enterprises.
The two sides also discussed expanding collaboration in trade, telecom, energy, infrastructure, the digital economy, and people-to-people exchanges.
Prime Minister Shehbaz is on a three-day official visit to Malaysia, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi. Upon his arrival in Kuala Lumpur, he was welcomed by Malaysian Minister of Communications Fahmi Fadzil and Pakistan’s High Commissioner Syed Ahsan Raza Shah.
Officials from both countries described the visit as a step that will “inject new momentum” into bilateral relations, especially in strategic and future-focused sectors.
Last year, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim visited Pakistan, where he was awarded the Nishan-e-Pakistan the country’s highest civilian honour in recognition of his efforts to promote Islamic solidarity and regional cooperation.
The two nations are also partners under the Malaysia-Pakistan Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (MPCEPA), signed in 2007, which facilitates trade in goods and services, investment cooperation, and collaboration in key sectors such as healthcare, construction, tourism, and telecommunications.
