Pakistani PM embarks on 2-day Malaysia visit

ISLAMABAD

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday launched his two-day visit to Malaysia, according to PM office.

In a statement, Khan’s office said: "On the invitation of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister Imran Khan is visiting Malaysia."

This is the second visit Khan has paid to Malaysia after taking over the office in 2018. His first trip was in November 2018.

A high-level delegation, including Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, other Cabinet members and senior officials are accompanying Khan.

During the visit, the visiting and host premiers will have one-on-one meeting, to be followed by talks with delegations.

Some important agreements and memorandum of understandings are expected to be signed, as well as a joint news conference as part of the visit.

"The prime minister’s visit is another sign of robust engagement between Pakistan and Malaysia and the shared commitment to further fortify the strategic partnership between the two countries," the statement said.

Khan’s visit will provide an opportunity to review the full spectrum of bilateral relations and reaffirm Pakistan’s resolve to forge a robust economic relationship with Malaysia and further expand the existing broad-based, long-term and enduring cooperation, it added.

Last December, Pakistan stepped back from attending Kuala Lumpur summit where leaders from Muslim countries gathered to discuss issues the Muslims are confronting globally, which drew criticism, with some defending the withdrawal of cash-strapped Islamabad which financially depends on oil-rich Gulf states.

Later Pakistan’s Qureshi said that Khan canceled his visit to the Malaysian capital over concerns by Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.