Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a telephone conversation with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, during which he categorically rejected attempts to link the recent Pahalgam incident in Indian-occupied Kashmir to Pakistan, calling it a “baseless and malicious accusation”.
PM Shehbaz took his Malaysian counterpart into confidence about India’s aggressive actions and conveyed Pakistan’s position, stressing that the country had no involvement in the incident and condemns all forms of terrorism. He reiterated Pakistan’s longstanding stance against terrorism, highlighting the nation’s sacrifices in the fight against extremism.
“Pakistan, as a frontline state in the war on terror, has suffered immense losses of life and property to eliminate the menace of terrorism,” said Prime Minister Shehbaz. He rejected the nefarious attempts to link Pahalgam incident to Pakistan and emphasized that implicating Islamabad without credible evidence was unjustified and counterproductive.
The prime minister also expressed serious concern over India’s provocative behaviour since the Pahalgam attack, describing it as an attempt to divert attention from Pakistan’s ongoing counter-terrorism efforts and progress toward economic stability.
“Pakistan is firmly on the path of economic recovery and does not wish to be dragged into any conflict,” he told his Malaysian counterpart.
In a show of transparency, PM Shehbaz Sharif offered full cooperation for an international, impartial, and transparent investigation into the incident. He also welcomed Malaysia’s potential participation in such a probe, underlining Pakistan’s willingness to cooperate with global partners to establish the truth.
Both leaders discussed the broader regional situation and agreed on the need for peace and stability in South Asia. PM Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to working with friendly nations to ensure regional harmony.
The two prime ministers also reviewed Pakistan-Malaysia bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction over the current level of cooperation. They reaffirmed their joint commitment to further strengthen ties across various sectors, including trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges.
PM Shehbaz Sharif expressed his desire to undertake an official visit to Malaysia later this year, which both sides agreed would add new momentum to the relationship.
Earlier on Sunday, in a telephonic conversation with Malaysian Foreign Minister Dato’ Seri Muhammad Hassan, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar apprised his counterpart of the recent regional developments, including India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.
Mr Dar categorically rejected what he described as India’s “provocative actions”, accusing New Delhi of launching a campaign of “baseless allegations, inflammatory propaganda”, and breaching its international obligations by unilaterally halting cooperation under the treaty.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to peace and regional security but stressed that Islamabad reserves the right to safeguard its sovereignty and national interests.
The Malaysian foreign minister expressed support for Pakistan’s stance and called for restraint from all sides to prevent further escalation. Both leaders agreed to stay in close contact as the situation evolves.
