ISLAMABAD: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived here on Wednesday (Oct 2) to begin his three-day state visit to Pakistan.
The special aircraft carrying the Malaysian Prime Minister touched down at Pakistan Air Force’s Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi at about 7.55pm (10.55pm Malaysian time).
Present at the airbase to welcome his arrival were Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, and Malaysian High Commissioner to Pakistan Datuk Mohammad Azhar Mazlan.
Also welcoming the Malaysian Prime Minister at the airbase were Pakistan’s Trade Minister Jamal Kamal Khan, Chief Protocol of the Foreign Ministry Tipu Sultan, and the country’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, Syed Ahsan.
Anwar was given a red carpet welcome ceremony, including a 21-gun salute, and inspected a guard of honour mounted by members of the Pakistan Armed Forces.
In an 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 November 2022.
The Prime Minister kicks off his busy schedule on Thursday (Oct 3) with a restricted meeting with his Pakistani counterpart, Shehbaz Sharif, 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 Malaysia, 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