By Mohd Haikal Mohd Isa
ISLAMABAD: Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived here yesterday to begin his three-day state visit to Pakistan.
The special aircraft carrying Anwar touched down at Pakistan Air Force’s Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi at about 7.55 pm (10.55 pm Malaysian time).
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed Anwar at the airbase upon his arrival, along with the country’s Trade Minister Jamal Kamal Khan, Chief Protocol of the Foreign Ministry Tipu Sultan and Pakistani High Commissioner to Malaysia Syed Ahsan.
Also on hand to receive the entourage, which included Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan dan Malaysian High Commissioner to Pakistan Datuk Mohammad Azhar Mazlan.
Anwar was given a red carpet welcoming ceremony including a 21-gun salute and inspected a guard of honour mounted by members of the Pakistan Armed Forces.
In a media interview with Malaysian media on Wednesday, Mohammad Azhar said the Pakistan government had upgraded the Prime Minister’s three-day visit to the South Asian country to a state visit.
Anwar has a packed schedule throughout his three-day visit to the nuclear-powered country, his first since assuming office in Nov 2022.
The Prime Minister kicks off his busy schedule today with a restricted meeting with Shehbaz at the latter’s official residence, followed by a bilateral meeting involving delegations from both countries at the same venue.
Both leaders are also scheduled to witness the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) as well as the MoU between the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.
Anwar and Shehbaz Sharif will also launch selected translated works by renowned Pakistani poet Allama Muhammad Iqbal, translated into Bahasa Melayu and the Madani Malaysia book into Urdu.
The Prime Minister is also scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) in Islamabad, before being awarded an honorary doctorate in philosophy by the university.
He is also slated to hold a roundtable meeting with the country’s captains of industry.
Later in the evening, Anwar will pay a courtesy call on the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, at Aiwan-e-Sadr – the official residence of the President – where he will be conferred the ‘Nishan-e-Pakistan’, the country’s highest civilian award.
“(The award) is the highest recognition from the Pakistani government for Anwar’s leadership in fostering and enhancing bilateral relations between Malaysia and Pakistan,” said Mohammad Azhar.
Anwar, he said, was also scheduled to meet Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, as well as other influential figures in Pakistan. – BERNAMA
