Imran, Mahathir to hold talks on Tuesday

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, who arrived in Kuala Lumpur on a two-day official visit, is set to meet his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad on Tuesday during which they will hold talks on further enhancing and solidifying the long-standing relations between the two nations.

Khan was received by Malaysian Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu and senior officials upon his arrival in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, reports The Express Tribune.

High Commissioner of Pakistan in Malaysia Amna Baloch and officers of the High Commission were also present.

On his second visit to Malaysia since becoming the Prime Minister in August 2018, Khan is leading a high-level delegation, including Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Planning Minister Asad Umar, Adviser on Commerce Razzak Dawood, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood and others.

The Foreign Office (FO) in Islamabad said that the two premiers will have a tete-e-tete, followed by delegation-level talks. They will also witness signing of important agreements, memorandums of understanding, and have a joint press stakeout.

"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," the FO said in a statement.

Besides his meeting with Mahathir, Khan is also scheduled to speak at the Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) on peace and security on Tuesday.

Khan was previously expected to visit Malaysia in December 2019 to participate in the Kuala Lumpur Summit, a Dawn news report said.

However, he had cancelled the visit, which according to a diplomatic source, the reconsideration had been prompted by Saudi reservations over the summit which they had seen as an attempt to present an alternative to the Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

( With inputs from IANS )