Sindh Assembly Speaker Syed Awais Qadir Shah graces PMFA's 5th Appreciation Awards as Chief Guest; Malaysian Consul General highlights enduring friendship and pledges support for greater bilateral cooperation
KARACHI: Pakistan and Malaysia have immense opportunities to expand bilateral trade, investment, industrial partnerships and people-to-people contacts, particularly through stronger engagement between business communities, educational institutions and commercial organisations of both countries.
These views were expressed during the 5th Appreciation Awards Ceremony organised by the Pakistan Malaysia Friendship Association (PMFA) in Karachi, where Sindh Assembly Speaker Syed Awais Qadir Shah graced the occasion as Chief Guest. The newly appointed Consul General of Malaysia in Karachi, along with members of the diplomatic community, business leaders and distinguished guests, attended the ceremony.
Addressing the gathering, PMFA President Shahid Jawaid Qureshi highlighted the longstanding friendship and brotherhood between Pakistan and Malaysia, describing their relationship as one rooted in shared values, mutual respect and strong historical, cultural and religious bonds.
Welcoming Chief Guest Syed Awais Qadir Shah, he appreciated the continued support of the Sindh government in promoting business activities, encouraging foreign investment and strengthening international economic partnerships.
He said Sindh, being Pakistan's commercial and maritime gateway, occupied a strategic position in the country's international trade relations. Its ports, industries and commercial infrastructure offered considerable opportunities for expanding economic cooperation with Malaysia and the wider Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.
Shahid Jawaid Qureshi also welcomed the newly appointed Malaysian Consul General and expressed confidence that bilateral friendship, trade and cooperation would further strengthen during his diplomatic assignment in Karachi.
Highlighting economic opportunities, the PMFA President said bilateral trade between Pakistan and Malaysia had crossed $1.5 billion annually, but substantial untapped potential remained in several sectors.
He noted that Malaysia was an important supplier of palm oil, machinery and industrial inputs to Pakistan, while Pakistani exporters possessed significant opportunities to increase shipments of agricultural products, textiles, surgical instruments, pharmaceuticals and other value-added goods to the Malaysian market.
He emphasised that both countries should move beyond conventional trade arrangements and encourage greater investment, industrial cooperation, joint ventures and technology-based partnerships.
"There is enormous untapped potential on both sides," he observed, stressing the importance of addressing trade imbalances, reducing tariff barriers and further strengthening the Pakistan-Malaysia Closer Economic Partnership Agreement.
He also highlighted the possibility of connecting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Sindh's port infrastructure with Malaysian and wider ASEAN supply chains, potentially creating stronger commercial links between Central Asia, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
The PMFA President underlined the importance of increasing direct engagement between Pakistani and Malaysian entrepreneurs through business-to-business meetings, trade networking and investment facilitation.
He maintained that bilateral friendship should be translated into practical economic cooperation capable of creating employment opportunities, expanding exports and contributing to sustainable development in both countries.
Speaking on the occasion, the Consul General of Malaysia in Karachi reaffirmed Malaysia's commitment to strengthening its longstanding friendship with Pakistan, describing the relationship as one founded on mutual respect, shared values and common aspirations for peace, stability and prosperity.
The Malaysian diplomat congratulated Shahid Jawaid Qureshi and the PMFA team for organising the appreciation awards ceremony and acknowledged the presence of Sindh Assembly Speaker Syed Awais Qadir Shah as Chief Guest.
He said Malaysia-Pakistan relations extended beyond official diplomatic engagements and had developed through decades of trade, education, tourism, cultural exchanges and personal connections between the peoples of both countries.
Referring to Karachi's significance as Pakistan's major commercial and financial centre, the Consul General said the city offered tremendous potential for expanding business partnerships, bilateral trade and investment, particularly with Sindh.
He stressed that cooperation should be strengthened not only at the government-to-government level but also through closer interaction among business communities, educational institutions and civil society organisations.
Appreciating the role of the Pakistan Malaysia Friendship Association, he described friendship organisations as valuable bridges that promoted mutual
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