Pakistan to confer highest civilian award on Dr M

Pakistan will confer the Nishan-e-Pakistan (Order of Pakistan), the country’s highest civilian award, on Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad during his official three-day visit to the country beginning Thursday.

The award is to be bestowed on Mahathir for his contributions to the United Nations, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and Asean, Malaysian high commissioner to Pakistan Ikram Mohammad Ibrahim said on Wednesday.

Ikram said Pakistan President Arif Alvi will present the award when Mahathir pays a courtesy call at the Aiwan-e-Sadr Presidential Palace on the second day of his visit.

On the morning of the second day, Mahathir will be accorded an official welcome at the Prime Minister’s House, where he will meet Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“After that, the two prime ministers will have a four-eyed meeting, which will be followed by a delegation meeting between Malaysia and Pakistan,” Ikram told journalists at the Malaysian High Commission in Islamabad.

The meetings will provide the opportunity for the two sides to evaluate their bilateral relations and identify other areas of cooperation that can be explored for mutual benefit, he said.

Mahathir and Khan are also expected to discuss and exchange views on regional and global issues, he added.

Ikram said that also on the second day, the two prime ministers will witness the symbolic groundbreaking for a Proton plant in Sindh province.

“At an event at the hotel, the two prime ministers will attend a roundtable with the captains of industry of Malaysia and Pakistan.

“They will also witness the signing of memorandums of understanding and cooperation between Malaysian and Pakistan companies,” he said.

Ikram said that on the third day, Mahathir will attend the Pakistan Day 2019 parade at Shakar Parian in the capital.

“Mahathir has been invited by Prime Minister Khan as the guest-of-honour at the event which is observed on March 23 every year."

- Bernama