His Excellency Dato’ Mohamad Azhar Mazlan, High Commissioner of Malaysia to Pakistan attended the programme “Jom Malaysia Chalo”, which was organised by Consulate General of Malaysia in Karachi, as part of the Program Sinergi Rakyat Malaysia and consistent with Malaysia’s responsibilities as Chair of ASEAN 2025. The event was held 13 to 15 September 2025 at the Marriott Hotel, Karachi.
Held under the theme “ASEAN Friendship with Pakistan”, the programme highlighted Malaysia’s leadership within ASEAN while deepening Malaysia–Pakistan engagement under the Strategic Partnership. The event was strongly supported by ASEAN missions in Karachi namely, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia with Malaysian agencies, institutions and private sector representatives. More than 1,000 visitors attended, underlining the enduring resonance of Malaysia’s public diplomacy within Pakistani society.
The programme was strategically aligned with Malaysia’s broader foreign policy goals and its role as ASEAN Chair 2025. It sought to project Malaysia’s leadership in representing ASEAN cohesively to external partners, to consolidate the Strategic Partnership with Pakistan through broad-based engagement across education, trade, tourism and culture, and to affirm ASEAN’s growing relevance in South Asia. These objectives were achieved not only through the exhibition but also by highlighting the active participation of ASEAN missions and the inclusion of the Malaysian diaspora, who played an important role in reinforcing the people-to-people dimension of the Strategic Partnership. In his remarks, Dato’ Azhar reaffirmed Malaysia’s leadership as ASEAN Chair 2025, the depth of Malaysia–Pakistan relations, and the importance of cultural and public diplomacy in advancing the Strategic Partnership.
Beyond the exhibition, the Consulate General organised a series of stakeholder engagements that directly contributed to strengthening the Strategic Partnership between Malaysia and Pakistan. These included the 4th Pakistan–Malaysia Friendship Association (PMFA) Awards Ceremony, which celebrated bilateral ties and recognised outstanding contributions to friendship between the two countries. The inauguration of a CT Scan Centre at Kharadar General Hospital symbolised Malaysia’s tangible contribution to community welfare, while a public lecture at the English-Speaking Union of Pakistan (ESUP) provided a platform for intellectual diplomacy with one of Karachi’s most respected forums.
The programme significantly strengthened Malaysia’s national branding in Pakistan. The strong turnout at both the Malaysia and ASEAN booths reflected the interest of Pakistani society in exploring opportunities with Malaysia. Media coverage, both social and mainstream, amplified Malaysia’s visibility and projected a positive narrative consistent with Malaysia’s soft power strategy.
