ISLAMABAD: The Malaysian envoy and the business community of Islamabad have expressed their resolve to undertake collaborative efforts to enhance bilateral trade volume from $3 billion to $4 billion annually.
Dato Muhammad Azhar Mazlan, Malaysian High Commissioner to Pakistan, emphasised the importance of further strengthening Pakistan–Malaysia economic relations by expanding cooperation in trade, investment and people-to-people linkages, particularly in emerging and high-potential sectors.
He expressed these views during a meeting with a delegation of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), headed by its President Sardar Tahir Mehmood, at the Malaysian high commission here on Monday.
Dato Mazlan appreciated the proactive role of ICCI in promoting business-to-business engagement and reaffirmed Malaysia’s strong commitment to deepening economic collaboration with Pakistan.
He said Malaysia attaches great importance to Pakistan as a key economic partner and stressed the need for enhanced interaction between the private sectors of both countries.
It was agreed that the Malaysian high commissioner would visit ICCI to hold direct interaction with the business community of the federal capital.
The ICCI delegation, led by President Sardar Tahir Mehmood, comprised Senior Vice President Tahir Ayub, Vice President Irfan Chaudhry, and Convener ICCI Standing Committee on Asean Chaudhry Mohammad Ali.
Sardar Tahir Mehmood highlighted Malaysia’s significant commercial presence in Pakistan, particularly in palm oil, telecom, education and the halal sector.
However, he pointed out that despite strong ties, the trade balance remains tilted, underscoring the need to diversify Pakistan’s exports towards value-added goods and services.
The ICCI president identified the halal industry as a key area for immediate collaboration, proposing joint halal certification standards, establishment of halal parks and food processing facilities, and expansion of meat exports.
He further stressed cooperation in the IT and digital economy, real estate and low-cost housing.
He also highlighted the importance of joint ventures for value addition in the agriculture sector and proposed structured B2B matchmaking between Pakistani and Malaysian companies to accelerate partnerships.
The ICCI delegation proposed organising a Pakistan–Malaysia Business Forum in Kuala Lumpur and holding sector-specific virtual B2B meetings as effective trade promotion mechanisms.
Both sides agreed to work closely to translate discussions into concrete trade and investment opportunities and encouraged Malaysian entrepreneurs to get registered as ICCI members.
Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2026
