Malaysian Envoy, ICCI Pledge to Boost Bilateral Trade to $3–4 Billion

Islamabad: Malaysian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Dato’ Muhammad Azhar Mazlan, has reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to strengthening economic ties with Pakistan, with both sides pledging to enhance bilateral trade volume to between $3 and $4 billion through expanded cooperation in trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges.
The High Commissioner made these remarks during a meeting with a delegation of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), led by its President Sardar Tahir Mehmood, at the Malaysian High Commission. The delegation included Senior Vice President Tahir Ayub, Vice President Irfan Chaudhry, and Convener of ICCI’s Standing Committee on ASEAN, Chaudhry Mohammad Ali.
Dato’ Azhar Mazlan praised ICCI’s proactive role in promoting business-to-business engagement and emphasized Pakistan’s importance as a key economic partner for Malaysia. He underlined the need for stronger private-sector linkages and agreed to visit ICCI in the near future to engage directly with Islamabad’s business community.
Both sides agreed to pursue collaborative efforts to raise bilateral trade to the targeted level, focusing on high-potential and emerging sectors.
Speaking on the occasion, ICCI President Sardar Tahir Mehmood highlighted the longstanding and cordial Pakistan–Malaysia relationship, noting Malaysia’s strong commercial footprint in Pakistan, particularly in palm oil, telecommunications, education, and the halal sector. However, he pointed out that the trade balance remains skewed, calling for diversification of Pakistan’s exports toward value-added goods and services.
He identified the halal industry as a priority area for cooperation, proposing joint halal certification standards, establishment of halal parks, food processing facilities, and expansion of meat exports. He also stressed collaboration in information technology, digital economy, real estate, low-cost housing, and value-added agriculture through joint ventures.
Senior Vice President ICCI Tahir Ayub emphasized the potential of agro-based exports, particularly mangoes, citrus fruits, and other high-value produce, through improved value addition to enhance export earnings for both countries.
Vice President ICCI Irfan Chaudhry underscored the importance of stronger institutional linkages and regular business exchanges to translate goodwill into concrete economic outcomes.
The ICCI delegation proposed organizing a Pakistan–Malaysia Business Forum in Kuala Lumpur, holding sector-specific virtual B2B meetings, signing a Memorandum of Understanding between ICCI and Malaysian chambers, and establishing a joint working group to ensure effective follow-up.
Both sides agreed to work closely to convert discussions into tangible trade and investment opportunities and encouraged Malaysian entrepreneurs to register as ICCI members. The ICCI delegation also formally invited the Malaysian High Commissioner to visit ICCI for direct interaction with the business community.