ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has expressed his gratitude for Malaysia’s support on the issue of Kashmir and reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to fostering bilateral ties with Kuala Lumpur.

According to a statement issued on the conclusion of Prime Minister Khan’s two-day official visit to Malaysia on Wednesday, Prime Minister Khan and his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad reaffirmed their shared desire to maintain regular high-level contact and expand bilateral economic, trade and investment ties in diversified fields.

During their one-on-one meeting and subsequent bilateral delegation meetings, Malaysia and Pakistan firmly stressed that the question of Palestine the situation in India-held Kashmir, and the Rohingya issue should be resolved on the basis of the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions.

Prime Minister Khan briefed his counterpart on the Indian government’s illegal and unilateral actions of Aug 5, 2019 and the ensuing lockdown, communications blockade, media blackout and illegal detentions in held Kashmir that brought immense suffering to the Kashmiri people.

He appreciated the efforts of Prime Minister Mahathir for raising awareness about the situation and underscoring the imperative of peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

The Malaysian prime minister recognised the essential role of Prime Minister Khan in ensuring peace and security in the South Asian and West Asian regions through his goodwill diplomatic efforts towards the maintenance of international peace and security.

Both leaders agreed that Malaysia and Pakistan, together with Turkey, would pursue initiatives of strategic cooperation under the Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) to complement the efforts by the community of the Muslim world aimed at uplifting the socio-political and socio-economic condition of the Ummah and promoting the true values of Islam, while being mindful of the centrality of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in this regard.

The two leaders said that a number of draft agreements concerning investment, tourism, agriculture, skills development, and higher education were in the process of being finalised soon.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2020