During the working visit of His Excellency Dato’ Mohammad Azhar Mazlan, High Commissioner of Malaysia to Pakistan, for the Pakistan International Maritime Expo and Conference (PIMEC) 2025, the Consulate General of Malaysia in Karachi hosted a dedicated engagement with the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on 5 November 2025. The session, titled “Promoting Sustainable Tourism through Bilateral and Multilateral Partnership,” was organized to leverage the High Commissioner’s presence in Karachi to strengthen Malaysia’s diplomatic and economic outreach in the tourism sector. It also provided a platform to highlight Malaysia’s leadership in sustainable tourism under its ASEAN Chairmanship 2025.
The session aimed to strengthen Malaysia’s diplomatic outreach, deepen economic connections with Pakistan’s business community, and spotlight Malaysia’s leadership in sustainable tourism as ASEAN Chair in 2025.
The FPCCI delegation was led by Senior Vice President Mr. Saquib Fayyaz Magoon and Secretary General Brigadier (Retd) Iftikhar Opel, with Mr. Zubair Tufail representing the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development (ICCD). The Malaysian side was headed by the High Commissioner, accompanied by officers from both the High Commission in Islamabad and the Consulate General in Karachi.
FPCCI representatives welcomed the High Commissioner and commended Malaysia’s continued commitment to promoting trade, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges with Pakistan.
Delivering the keynote presentation, H.E. Dato’ Azhar Mazlan outlined Malaysia’s sustainable tourism vision, grounded in the National Tourism Policy 2020–2030 and aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He stressed Malaysia’s shift from prioritizing tourist numbers to focusing on high-quality, environmentally responsible tourism experiences that uplift local communities.
The High Commissioner highlighted Malaysia’s success in environmental stewardship, high-value tourism, and smart tourism technology. Citing case studies such as the Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark and community-led homestay programs, he showcased Malaysia’s balanced approach to conservation and development. He also emphasized the rising global demand for Muslim-friendly tourism and noted the role of the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) and its Muslim-Friendly Accreditation Programme (MFAR) as models Pakistan could adopt to attract more Muslim travelers.
Inviting Pakistan’s travel sector to collaborate on the upcoming Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign, he encouraged joint promotional initiatives that highlight Malaysia’s cultural richness, natural beauty, and sustainable tourism credentials.
The meeting also explored new avenues for cooperation in eco-tourism and community-based tourism. The High Commissioner proposed a Langkawi–Hunza Sustainable Tourism Exchange, aimed at promoting knowledge-sharing on environmental management, digital visitor systems, and community participation in tourism development. He reaffirmed Malaysia’s readiness to provide training for Pakistani officials and tourism practitioners through the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP).
Highlighting Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship under the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability”, the High Commissioner encouraged Pakistan, as an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner, to deepen participation in regional tourism forums such as the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) and the ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue (ACSDSD).
The engagement concluded with both sides expressing optimism for increased collaboration and mutual growth in sustainable tourism initiatives.
