Story by Abigirl Tembo
OUTGOING Pakistan Ambassador to Zimbabwe, His Excellency Murad Baseer, has reaffirmed the growing strength of bilateral ties between Harare and Islamabad.
He reflected on this when he paid a farewell courtesy call on Acting President General (Rtd) Dr Constantino Chiwenga held at the Munhumutapa Offices this Friday.
The outgoing Ambassador described the meeting as a reflection of “deep, historic and evolving” relations that span from Zimbabwe’s liberation war to current diplomatic and economic cooperation.
“It is an honour to meet the Acting President, Dr Chiwenga again, I’ve met him before and we discussed our bilateral relations, starting from the war of independence, the struggle, and Pakistan’s support. We also discussed bilateral relations from scholarships to MOUs signed in the defence sector,” he said.
A major highlight of the current diplomatic phase was the establishment of Zimbabwe’s Embassy in Islamabad in June 2023, a first in over four decades, which he described as “a catalyst” for scaling up cooperation.
“Zimbabwe established its embassy in Pakistan and Pakistan and Pakistan in June 2023 which was unprecedented. After 43 years, Zimbabwe finally established its embassy, and the credit goes to the leadership of Zimbabwe, who have reached out to old friends like Pakistan,” he added.
The envoy highlighted recent milestones in the relationship, including Pakistan’s participation at last year’s Zimbabwe Agricultural Show, which attracted 18 Pakistani companies and a reciprocal business visit by 10 Zimbabwean companies to Pakistan in June.
He noted that these initiatives have laid the groundwork for future Pakistani investments in Zimbabwe, especially in the manufacturing sector.
As His Excellency Murad Baseer prepares to depart Harare for his next assignment, he leaves with a deep sense of fulfilment, having achieved significant milestones across key sectors such as health, defence, and manufacturing.
