ISLAMABAD: A luxury car gifted to Prime Minister Imran Khan by his Malaysian counterpart, Mahathir Mohamad, was handed over to the government during a ceremony at the Malaysian High Commission in Islamabad on Monday.

Razak Dawood, Khan’s adviser on commerce, received the car on behalf of the prime minister.

“This gift is a demonstration of the love & respect between the two countries and will further consolidate the excellent bilateral relations,” Dawood said in a tweet on Monday. 

Earlier, Dawood told Arab News that the gesture would go a long way in consolidating the relations between the two Muslim countries.
The Malaysian-manufactured X-70 Proton was gifted to Khan during Mahathir’s three-day visit to Islamabad in March earlier this year.
A joint venture between Pakistan and Malaysia involving Proton was first agreed upon last year amid a series of agreements signed during Mahathir’s visit to the country.
The manufacturing and assembly of the Malaysian Proton cars have already begun in Pakistan with a local partner, Al-Hajj Automotive.
The Proton plant, near the southern port city of Karachi, is the latest in a series of assembly deals set up in Pakistan by international automakers including Volkswagen AG and Hyundai Motors.
The Malaysian-based company, Proton, was established in 1983 and has so far sold 3 million cars worldwide. Proton cars are sold in more than 25 countries including Britain, Singapore, and Australia.
Pakistan warmed up bilateral relations with Malaysia after Prime Minister Imran Khan visited the country in November last year. Multiple investment agreements have also been signed in different sectors as part of Islamabad’s efforts to attract foreign investment, to boost a fragile economy and create job opportunities.
The investment projects that Malaysia has promised to carry out in Pakistan include its Edotco Group’s agreements in the telecom sector with local units of China Mobile and Telenor, as well as local mobile group, Jazz.
Other deals include a halal meat agreement signed by the food unit of Pakistan’s Fauji Foundation conglomerate and a $20 million venture capital agreement between Pakistan’s Fatima Ventures and Gobi Partners of Malaysia.