Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday expressed his regret on being unable to attend the Kuala Lumpur Summit, held in Malaysia in December of last year, adding that there was a misconception among some countries that the conference would divide the ummah.
Addressing a joint press conference following talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in Putrajaya, Prime Minister Imran said: “I want to say how sad I was that I couldn’t attend the conference in Kuala Lumpur in the middle of December.
“Unfortunately, our friends, who are very close to Pakistan as well, felt that somehow the conference was going to divide the ummah. It was clearly a misconception because that was not the purpose of the conference as evident from when the conference took place.”
Prime Minister Imran Khan and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad address a joint press conference on Tuesday. — DawnNewsTV
In December of last year, Prime Minister Imran had pulled out of the Kuala Lumpur Summit of some 20 Muslim countries reportedly due to pressure exerted by Saudi Arabia. At the time, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had confirmed that Riyadh and the UAE had concerns about the summit
The premier today said that he was “looking forward” to attending the conference because he felt that it is important that Muslim countries educate the West and other non-Muslim countries about Islam.
“All these misunderstandings, whether they are deliberate or whether they are by ignorance, […] it is important that we the Muslim countries, educate them about the real message of our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
“I also felt that we need a media, which we are working on, some sort of a joint effort that not only projects this […] but also develop content for our young people about what really Islam is.”
He reiterated his regret at being unable to attend the conference.
Responding to a question about whether he would attend the KL Summit next year, Prime Minister Imran said: “Of course I would because now it is evident that the KL Summit was not to divide the ummah […] If anything it was to unite the ummah, so of course I would love to come.”
In response to another question, the premier said the decision not to attend the summit had not affected Pakistan’s relations with other Muslim nations.
Import of palm oil
In response to a question about getting Pakistan to buy more palm oil from Malaysia, the Malaysian prime minister said that the two had discussed the sale of palm oil.
“I think Pakistan is quite ready to import more palm oil from Malaysia,” he said.
Read: Malaysia’s PM defends criticism of India despite palm oil backlash
“That’s right, especially since we noticed that India threatened to cut Malaysia’s palm oil imports for supporting the Kashmir cause, Pakistan will do its best to compensate for that,” Prime Minister Imran added.
India has put general restrictions on refined palm oil imports and informally asked traders specifically to stop buying from Malaysia, the world’s second-biggest producer and exporter of the edible oil, in retaliation for Malaysia’s accusation that recent Indian policies discriminate against Muslims.
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Prime Minister Imran Khan has on Monday arrived in Malaysia on a two-day visit to the South East Asian country, Dunya News reported.
He was received by Malaysian Minister for Defence Mohamad Sabu and senior officials of the Malaysian government upon arrival at Bunga Raya Complex, Kuala Lumpur International Airport. High Commissioner of Pakistan in Malaysia Amna Baloch and officers of the High Commission were also present.
He is visiting on the invitation of his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad. The prime minister is accompanied by a high-level delegation including cabinet members and senior officials.
Imran Khan on Sunday refused to use Indian airspace for his flight to Malaysia. The premier is travelling through Chinese airspace which has increased his travel time by four hours.
During the visit, the two Prime Ministers would have tête-à-tête, followed by delegation-level talks. They will witness signing of important agreements and MoUs, and have joint press stakeout.
Imran Khan will also address a think-tank event organized by the Institute of Strategic and International Studies of Malaysia. During his various interactions, the Prime Minister will share his vision about Pakistan and underline Pakistan’s positive contribution to regional and international peace and security.
Imran Khan will also highlight the dire human rights and humanitarian situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir, emphasize the importance of averting risks to regional peace and stability posed by Indian belligerence, and underscore the importance of peaceful resolution of Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
PM Imran’s visit is another sign of robust engagement between Pakistan and Malaysia and the shared commitment to further fortify the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Pakistan and Malaysia enjoy close, cordial ties based on commonalities of faith and culture and marked by exceptional mutual trust and understanding.
In line with the vision of leadership of the two countries, bilateral ties have deepened in recent years, leading to closer cooperation in the spheres of trade, investment, industry, defence, education and in various international forums.
The visit of the Prime Minister will provide an opportunity to review the full spectrum of bilateral relations and reaffirm Pakistan’s resolve to forge a robust economic relationship with Malaysia and further expand the existing broad-based, long-term and enduring cooperation.
