Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s newly appointed Prime Minister, has reached out to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, inviting him to visit Pakistan as they discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations during a recent phone call.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim placed a call to Shehbaz on Monday (March 4) to convey his congratulations on Shehbaz’s appointment as Pakistan’s 24th prime minister.
In the conversation, it was reported by the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) that Shehbaz extended an invitation to Anwar to visit Pakistan, which Anwar graciously accepted. Anwar also reciprocated the gesture by inviting Shehbaz to visit Malaysia.
In addition to discussing bilateral relations, the two leaders emphasized the importance of maintaining regular high-level exchanges to foster closer ties between Pakistan and Malaysia.
They also touched on the situation in Gaza during their conversation, as reported by the APP.
Shehbaz is faced with the challenging task of stabilizing Pakistan’s economy and easing political tensions between his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) alliance and the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Following the February 8 elections, no single party managed to secure a simple majority in the National Assembly, leading to a complex political landscape.
Shehbaz emerged victorious in the leadership race on Sunday (March 3) with the support of various parties, including the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
Overall, the dialogue between Shehbaz and Anwar signifies a positive step towards enhancing relations between Pakistan and Malaysia, with both leaders expressing mutual interest in furthering cooperation and collaboration.
