ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday called for further strengthening Pakistan-Malaysia cooperation as he met with Malaysia’s Minister for Home Affairs, Saifuddin Nasution bin Ismail, at the president’s house.
The Malaysian minister is on an official visit to Pakistan, where he met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defense Forces Asim Munir earlier this week.
President Zardari called for improving cooperation in various fields, including, “law enforcement, counter-terrorism, narcotics control and combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling” with Malaysia, according to the president’s office.
Zardari said that Pakistan attached “great importance” to its “fraternal relations with Malaysia, rooted in shared faith, culture, mutual respect and strong people-to-people ties.”
The two sides discussed progress in strengthening institutional cooperation on internal security, immigration, and legal and judicial matters.
In terms of bilateral trade, the president stressed the need to explore greater market access in Malaysia for Pakistani products that are in demand, including rice, potatoes, wheat, poultry and animal feed.
69 years of diplomatic ties
2026 marked 69 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, with Pakistan being one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Malaysia in 1957 following the country's independence. The visiting minister said that 14 flights currently connect Pakistani cities with Malaysia each week, with efforts underway to increase that frequency further.
The meeting was also attended by Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi, along with Malaysia's High Commissioner to Pakistan, Mohammad Azhar Mazlan, and senior Malaysian security officials.
Zardari said he was confident the visit would help strengthen institutional ties and deepen the broader Pakistan-Malaysia relationship.
Meetings with PM, CDF
The Malaysian minister's visit also included meetings with PM Sharif and CDF Munir earlier in the week. Sharif discussed the regional security situation and thanked Malaysia for its support of Pakistan's peace efforts, according to the prime minister's office.
The minister conveyed greetings from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who separately spoke with PM Sharif via phone.
In a separate meeting, CDF Munir also reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to deepening defense cooperation with Malaysia, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations.