On 19 January 2026, a four-member delegation headed by Mr. Sardar Tahir Mehmood, the newly elected President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), held a meeting with His Excellency Ambassador Dato' Mohammad Azhar Mazlan, High Commissioner of Malaysia, at the High Commission of Malaysia in Islamabad.
During the meeting, Ambassador Dato' Azhar emphasized the importance of strengthening Malaysia–Pakistan economic relations by expanding cooperation in trade, investment, and people-to-people linkages, particularly in emerging and high-potential sectors. He appreciated the proactive role of ICCI in promoting business-to-business engagement and reaffirmed Malaysia’s strong commitment to deepening economic collaboration with Pakistan. He stated that Malaysia attaches great importance to Pakistan as a key economic partner and stressed the need for enhanced interaction between the private sectors of both countries. He also agreed to visit ICCI at the earliest to hold direct interactions with the business community of Islamabad. Both sides agreed to undertake collaborative efforts to enhance bilateral trade volume to USD 3–4 billion.
On this occasion, Mr. Sardar Tahir Mehmood identified the halal industry as a key area for immediate collaboration, proposing joint halal certification standards, the establishment of halal parks, food processing facilities, and the expansion of meat exports. He further stressed cooperation in the IT and digital economy, real estate, and low-cost housing. He highlighted the importance of joint ventures for value addition in the agriculture sector and proposed structured B2B matchmaking between Pakistani and Malaysian companies to accelerate partnerships.
