RAWALPINDI — The fourth edition of the bilateral Pakistan-Malaysia counter-terrorism exercise, Harimau Markhor-IV, concluded on Thursday at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in Pabbi, Nowshera district, the military’s media wing said.
In a statement issued on October 15, 2026, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the two-week-long exercise, which began on October 7, focused on sharing counter-terrorism experiences between the two countries, refining operational drills and procedures, and enhancing combat skills through the exchange of best practices.
“Exercise Harimau Markhor-IV reaffirmed the longstanding military cooperation between Pakistan and Malaysia and the shared resolve to further strengthen collaboration in counter-terrorism,” the ISPR said.
The NCTC Pabbi, Pakistan’s premier counter-terrorism training facility, regularly hosts joint exercises with friendly nations and has become a hub for sharing Pakistan’s hard-earned counter-terrorism expertise with international partners.
Separately, the 16th meeting of the Pakistan-Malaysia Joint Committee on Defence Cooperation (JCDC) was held the same day. According to official sources, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral defence and security cooperation and reviewed progress made since the 15th meeting held in 2025.
The Pakistan delegation was led by Secretary Defence Lt Gen (retd) Muhammad Ali, while the Malaysian side was headed by Deputy Secretary General (Policy) Mohd Yani bin Daud.
The conclusion of the joint exercise and the defence cooperation meeting mark continued momentum in Pakistan-Malaysia defence ties. In August 2026, Field Marshal Asim Munir met Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution, with both sides reaffirming their resolve to deepen defence collaboration.
Defence analysts say joint exercises like Harimau Markhor serve a dual purpose: they build interoperability between the two armed forces while allowing Pakistan to share lessons learned from its two-decade-long fight against terrorism with partner nations. The NCTC’s realistic training environment — replicating the rugged terrain and urban settings where counter-terrorism operations actually take place — has drawn military delegations from across the Muslim world and beyond.
Pakistan and Malaysia have maintained close defence relations over the years, with regular military exchanges, joint training and cooperation on counter-terrorism. Exercise Harimau Markhor — named after the tiger (harimau in Malay) and the markhor, Pakistan’s national animal — has become a symbol of the two countries’ shared commitment to fighting terrorism.
