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Thursday, March 14, 2024

Most leaders of the Muslim world are not leaders but office holders: PM Imran Khan

News Desk |

Prime Minister Imran Khan described most leaders of the Muslim world as office holders; he said they are not “leaders but office holders”. He was lavishly praising the visiting guest of honor, Malaysian Premier, Mahathir Mohammad at a joint presser on Friday, 22nd March.

PM Khan lauded him for his bold speech and described him as one of the few Muslim leaders who has the audacity to speak so clearly. He also said that, “most leaders of the Muslim world are not leaders, but office holders” He told his audience that Mahatir was one of the very few leaders to take a stand with the Muslim fraternity in the aftermath of the terror attacks at two Mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, which claimed the lives of 50 Muslim worshippers, nine of whom were Pakistanis.

“Unfortunately, very few Muslim leaders do take stands on the issues that affect the other Muslim world,” PM Khan told the Malaysian Prime Minister.

“We also admire you for your stand against corruption,” the prime minister said, adding, “We actually believe that countries are not poor, corruption makes them poor. Corruption destroys state institutions,” said PM Khan, reiterating the stance he took in his speech on his maiden foreign visit to Malaysia last year.

The Premier Mahathir arrived on Thursday, 21st March, on the invitation of Prime Minister Imran Khan for a three-day visit. The Malaysian Prime Minister is to be the guest of honor at the Pakistan day parade on 23rd March. 

“We almost took pride in the way Malaysia developed and raised the standard of living and became like a model for the Muslim world and that under your premiership,” PM Khan told Mahathir Mohamad.

PM Khan also discussed Islamophobia, an issue which has recently come under global scrutiny, saying that all Muslims across the world are blamed for any crime committed by any Muslim. He held Islamophobia responsible for the New Zealand terror attacks.

“Any crime committed by a Muslim was immediately blamed on the whole 1.3 billion Muslims and this was reflected in the Christchurch killings where a man, a terrorist, brazenly filmed shooting innocent women and children and innocent people in a mosque and then he didn’t regret. This was because of Islamophobia.”

Read more: Pak-Malaysia partnership: Dr. Mahathir begins 3-day visit to increase bilateral trade…

Malaysia to put up “Proton Car Plant” in Pakistan

The Malaysian premier said that the two countries can join hands to devise a mechanism to counter corruption “we can exchange information on how to combat corruption in our countries”, PM Mohamad said. He also said that Malaysia plans to set up a Proton Car plant in Pakistan. Haroon Sharif, Chairman Board of Investment Pakistan, who was conducting the ceremony told the visiting dignitary that he has always been an admirer of Dr. Mahatir but is grateful for the “Proton initiative”.

PM Mahathir briefed the assemblage about Malaysia’s plan of being a developed country by 2030 “Regretfully, in the Muslim bloc, there is not a single country which can be considered developed. Malaysia had planned to become developed by 2030, but due to changes in the government, it is now a target impossible to achieve”.

Mohamad, while talking about the bilateral relations, said he believed that increased trade between the two countries will enhance the bilateral relationship. “We need to identify what you can sell to us and what we can sell to you,” he said. “[There is] no doubt that if we increase our trade with each other, we will benefit in growing our economies.

Read more: Malaysian PM to be the guest of honour at Pakistan Day…

“We believe that the trade between us will increase because we now have outlined the measures that we should take. We also talked about the possibilities of foreign direct investment (FDI) by both the countries.”

Earlier in the day, PM Mahathir received a guard of honor at the Prime Minister house. The Premier Mahathir arrived on Thursday, 21st March, on the invitation of Prime Minister Imran Khan for a three-day visit. He was received at the airport by Pakistan’s foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Minister of Planning, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiyar. The Malaysian Prime Minister is to be the guest of honor at the Pakistan day parade on 23rd March.