KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia-Pakistan Business Council is calling for more bilateral trade between the two countries and stresses that Pakistan offers vast investment opportunities across many sectors, said new chairman Datuk Mohd Salim Fateh Din.

"Currently, only 12 to 13 companies from Malaysia have a foothold in Pakistan in the areas of real estate, energy and banking," he said after the council's inaugural meeting yesterday.

Also present was Pakistan High Commissioner Masood Khalid.

Masood invited Malaysian companies to invest in Pakistan especially in the businesses of livestocks, food-processing, education, halal products, construction and Islamic banking.

"I can assure that foreign investors in Pakistan are making a lot of profits," he said.

Mohd Salim said the council had embarked on several trade projects such as setting up an abattoir in Pakistan and the import of buffaloes.

He added that total trade between the two countries stood at US$1.7bil last year.

- The Star Online