ISLAMABAD, Oct 4 – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been conferred the Nishan-e-Pakistan, the highest civilian award of Pakistan by the country’s president Asif Ali Zardari in a ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadr, the Presidential Palace here.
Earlier, Anwar who is on a three-day state visit to the South Asian country, paid a courtesy call on President Zardari.
“(The award) is the highest recognition from the Pakistani government for Anwar’s leadership in fostering and enhancing bilateral relations between Malaysia and Pakistan,” Malaysian High Commissioner to Pakistan Datuk Mohammad Azhar Mazlan told Malaysian media recently.
Also attending the award ceremony were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz and other members of the Malaysian delegation.
After the ceremony, President Zardari hosted the Malaysian Prime Minister to a state banquet at the Presidential Palace.
The government of Pakistan had also conferred the award to the then Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2019.
Malaysia and Pakistan established diplomatic relations in 1957 when Malaysia gained its independence.
