ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Malaysia on Monday announced a new $200 million halal meat trade quota and pledged to deepen cooperation in the digital economy, agriculture and education as part of a renewed effort to expand economic and strategic ties between the two Muslim nations.
The announcement came during Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s three-day visit to Malaysia, where he held wide-ranging talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Addressing a joint press conference with Sharif, Ibrahim said Kuala Lumpur had already increased rice imports from Pakistan and was now prepared to facilitate beef and meat imports under a new halal trade framework.
Anwar added that the decision followed discussions with Sharif, who had proposed expanding agricultural exports to Malaysia, including up to $200 million worth of meat. He said both governments had also agreed to explore new areas of collaboration in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), innovation, digital industries, and semiconductors, noting Pakistan’s strong early performance in these sectors among Muslim nations and Malaysia’s readiness to build on that potential.
“This quota of exporting meat to Malaysia will be regulated by market price mechanisms and all halal certification required by Malaysian authorities,” Sharif assured Ibrahim as he addressed the joint press conference in Putrajaya.
