The PM is looking for a good plan to increase beef exports to Malaysia.

As part of initiatives to improve commerce with the Southeast Asian country, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif gave his administration officials instructions on Saturday to create a detailed plan for increasing Pakistani beef exports to Malaysia.

Although halal meat is still a relatively unexplored area for bilateral trade, Malaysia is a significant exporter of palm oil to Pakistan. From New York, where he has been attending the United Nations General Assembly this week, the prime minister conducted a video link meeting to examine the trade situation.

In a statement released by his office following the meeting, Sharif stated, “We are taking steps to harness it fully. There is enormous potential in Pakistan-Malaysia trade.”

He directed relevant organizations to create a workable and tangible plan for exporting beef from Pakistan to Malaysia.

The prime minister stated that Pakistan and Malaysia have “long-standing brotherly relations spanning decades” and that Pakistan “values highly” Kuala Lumpur’s assistance for Islamabad during difficult times.

Soon after Malaysia gained its independence in 1957, Pakistan and Malaysia developed diplomatic relations. They collaborate in organizations like the Commonwealth and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

The Malaysia-Pakistan Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (MPCEPA), which was signed in 2007 and has been in effect since 2008, is the main component of their economic partnership.

Pakistan is aggressively looking for new markets and aiming for export-led growth as it recovers from a protracted economic crisis that nearly caused it to go into default.