Daily Times

Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser on Saturday said that a large number of Pakistani expatriates were working in Malaysia and they were an asset for Pakistan, unfortunately some of them are in prison owing to small crimes and most of them are not able to obtain legal counsel for addressing their cases.

He prayed for their legal relief. He expressed these views in his correspondence with Chairman House of Representatives of Malaysia Mohammad Arif Md Yusof. In his letter, he acknowledged that Pakistani diaspora in Malaysia formed the largest Pakistani expatriates’ community in South East Asia and they also made up the 6thlargest group of foreign workers/nationals in Malaysia. Unluckily, there is also a large number of a Pakistani expatriate imprisoned in Malaysia for petty offences, the Speaker added.

While referring the recent visit of Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan to Malaysia, the Speaker said that both brotherly countries needed to enhance bilateral cooperation and high level coordination in all spheres. “That visit of Prime Minister of Pakistan was the agreement between the two sides to promote high level bilateral exchanges and to collaborate with each other at operational level” he commented.

The Speaker also expressed deep felicitation of forthcoming visit of the Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohammad as Chief Guest on Pakistan Day Parade on 23rd March, 2019. He hoped the journey of mutual cooperation in the field of Education, Defence, health and trade will remain continued.

Asad Qaiser also expressed his resolve that being the custodian of the representative Houses, it is our mutual responsibility to enhance our government efforts to furthering these bilateral ties. In this context the Speaker intends to formulate special parliamentary group in the National Assembly of Pakistan to foster coordination with House of Representative of Malaysia. He wished for same response from H.E. Mr. Mohammad Arif MdYusof, Chairman House of Representative of Malaysia Kuala Lumpur.

Published in Daily Times, March 17^th 2019.