PM Shehbaz calls Malaysian counterpart, offers ‘all possible’ assistance for flood-hit country – Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a telephone call with his Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim, on Friday, expressing solidarity and offering “all possible” assistance to the southeast Asian country in the aftermath of recent cyclone-induced floods, according to state broadcaster PTV News.

Monsoon rains paired with two tropical storm systems dumped record deluges across Sri Lanka, and parts of Indonesia’s Sumatra, southern Thailand, and northern Malaysia last week. The death toll from the floods and landslides in all affected areas has surpassed 1,000.

Today, PM Shehbaz, “on behalf of the people and government of Pakistan, extended heartfelt condolences to the Malaysian prime minister over the precious loss of lives and damage to property due to rains, flooding, and massive landslides triggered by the recent storm,” a post on PTV News’ X account said.

PM Shehbaz expressed his condolences over the loss of lives and prayed for the swift recovery of citizens who had been injured or displaced, the state broadcaster reported.

He also expressed solidarity with the Malaysian people, and offered “all possible assistance” from Pakistan in Malaysia’s ongoing relief and rescue operations.

According to PTV News, he assured his Malaysian counterpart that Pakistan “will provide to the Malaysian government whatever assistance it may require in the relief operations”.

The PTV News report said that Malaysian PM Ibrahim thanked PM Shehbaz, saying that “sentiments of sympathy and concern” expressed by him, as well as him reaching out at this difficult time, were a “manifestation of the close brotherly relations between Pakistan and Malaysia”.

Pakistan has also provided assistance to Sri Lanka in the wake of ravages caused by Cyclone Ditwah, which has killed over 450 people there. On Wednesday, Pakistan sent an urban search and rescue team to the flood-hit country by air for assistance in relief efforts.