PM Imran leaves for Malaysia today

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will beef up economic cooperation on investment with Malaysia on tourism, communication and engineering goods during the visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to Malaysia, Adviser to PM on Commerce, Textile, Industries and Production and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood said.

The prime minister will leave for Malaysia today (Monday) and he will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including cabinet members and senior officials.

During the two-day visit on February 3-4, chairpersons or chief executive officers (CEOs) of well-known companies that include EdotCo, Proton Automobile, Minconsult and Penumbra Communications along with Malaysian officials will meet Imran Khan and they will give presentation on their future plans of investment in Pakistan.

However, according to a top official of the Ministry of Industries and Production, Malaysian company Proton Automobile has committed investment in Pakistan of over $42 million in a joint venture with Karachi-based company -- Alhaaj Automobile.

The official said that Proton Automobile has already been extended the Green Field Status under Auto Development Policy 2016-21. He said that test marketing of the Malaysian cars Proton X-70-SUV and Saga Sedan will start in current year 2020 in Pakistan. However, in 2021, some parts of the said vehicles will be assembled here such as battery and tyres will be prepared locally and with the passage of time all important parts will be prepared locally.

The official said the Edotco Group wants to invest in Pakistan in building more telecom towers and mobile manufacturing. This company has already built 1,500 telecom towers in Pakistan. He said that Edotco Group is an integrated telecommunications infrastructure services company providing end-to-end solutions in the tower services sector including co-locations, built-to-suit, energy, transmission and operations and maintenance.

Miniconsult is a private limited engineering consultancy in Malaysia that is keen to invest in Pakistan in engineering goods. The company specialises in multi-disciplinary engineering and project management.

A press release issued from the PM Secretariat said that on the invitation of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister Imran Khan is visiting Malaysia on 3-4 February 2020. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including cabinet members and senior officials.

During the visit, the two prime ministers would have tete-e-tete, followed by delegation-level talks. They will witness signing of important agreement and MoUs, and have joint press stakeout. Imran Khan will also address a think-tank event organised by the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) of Malaysia.

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.

This will be Prime Minister Imran Khan’s second visit to Malaysia since assuming office in August 2018. Earlier, the prime minister had visited Malaysia on 20-21 November, 2018.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad visited Pakistan on 21-23 March, 2019, and was chief guest at the Pakistan Day Parade. The two prime ministers also met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York in September 2019.

During his various interactions, the prime minister will share his vision about Pakistan and underline Pakistan’s positive contribution to regional and international peace and security.

The prime minister will also highlight the dire human rights and humanitarian situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), emphasise the importance of averting risks to regional peace and stability posed by Indian belligerence, and underscore the importance of peaceful resolution of Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

The prime minister’s visit will contribute to further strengthening the historic Pakistan-Malaysia ties and taking bilateral cooperation to a higher level.