During his three-day visit to Pakistan, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu met several of the country’s top leaders, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and powerful army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. Muizzu also received an honorary doctorate from an Islamic university, appearing in traditional academic robes for the ceremony.
The state visit, held from October 20 to 22, resulted in the signing of 20 agreements between the Maldives and Pakistan covering defence, maritime security, law enforcement, trade and other sectors. Muizzu also called for reviving the largely inactive South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc), which last held a summit in Kathmandu in 2014.
His meeting with Pakistan’s influential army chief has added a strategic dimension to the diplomatic engagement, prompting questions about whether the Indian Ocean island nation is moving closer to Islamabad and what the developments could mean for New Delhi.
The Maldives occupies a strategically important position along major Indian Ocean shipping routes, an area that has traditionally been central to India’s security interests. India previously stationed military personnel in the archipelago to operate and maintain aircraft used for humanitarian assistance and medical evacuations. However, Muizzu’s government secured their replacement with civilian technical personnel in May 2024.
The latest outreach to Pakistan comes amid a history of strained relations with India under Muizzu, who came to power in 2023 on the back of the “India Out” campaign. Since then, his administration has also taken steps to repair bilateral ties with New Delhi.
At a joint press conference on Wednesday, October 22, Muizzu reiterated the Maldives’ support for Saarc and its potential to address shared regional challenges through collective action. He also said Pakistan and the Maldives had agreed to open a new chapter in their relationship, building on six decades of friendship.
Pakistan, meanwhile, used the visit to raise its disputes with India. According to a statement issued by Pakistan’s Press Information Department on October 21, Sharif shared Islamabad’s views on Jammu and Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). Muizzu, however, did not publicly endorse Pakistan’s positions on either issue.
PAKISTAN AND MALDIVES SIGN 20 AGREEMENTS, INCLUDING ON DEFENCE
Muizzu’s visit marked the first trip by a Maldivian president to Pakistan in 11 years and coincided with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, established in July 1966.
He arrived in Islamabad on October 20, accompanied by First Lady Sajidha Mohamed and a high-level delegation. The following day, Sharif welcomed him at the Prime Minister’s House, where Muizzu inspected a guard of honour before participating in restricted and delegation-level discussions.
The two leaders witnessed the exchange of 20 memorandums of understanding and agreements covering defence, maritime security, law enforcement, civil aviation, healthcare, education, agriculture, fisheries, tourism and technical training.
Both sides also agreed to increase bilateral trade from approximately $13 million to $200 million within two years. The target represents a substantial expansion given the relatively small volume of trade between the two countries.
Muizzu described the agreements as an opportunity to establish a new phase of cooperation. According to the Maldivian President’s Office, discussions focused on areas including defence and security, training and capacity-building.
MUIZZU MEETS ASIM MUNIR, CALLS FOR SAARC REVIVAL
On October 21, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, met Muizzu in Islamabad. Pakistan’s state broadcaster, Radio Pakistan, reported that their discussions covered regional security, defence cooperation, institutional ties and professional military exchanges.
Muizzu praised the professionalism of Pakistan’s armed forces and acknowledged Islamabad’s stated efforts to promote regional peace and stability.
Earlier that day, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had also met the Maldivian president to discuss trade, investment, education and tourism.
Muizzu’s proposal to revive Saarc was another notable development during the visit. The regional organisation has remained largely inactive since its 2016 summit in Islamabad was cancelled following the Uri terrorist attack and the subsequent deterioration of relations between India and Pakistan.
Following the attack, India said it remained committed to regional cooperation, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges but stressed that such initiatives required an environment free from terrorism. New Delhi subsequently declined to participate in the proposed Islamabad summit.
On October 21, Muizzu said the Maldives was committed to playing an active and constructive role in revitalising Saarc. He also expressed Male’s willingness to work with other member countries to convene the next summit as soon as possible.
Muizzu is not the first South Asian leader to advocate reviving the organisation in recent years. In 2025, Bangladesh’s interim government chief, Muhammad Yunus, also called for Saarc’s revival during a meeting with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar.
Established in Dhaka in 1985, Saarc is an eight-member regional grouping headquartered in Kathmandu. Its members are India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives and Afghanistan. The organisation was created to promote economic growth, social progress, cultural development and collective self-reliance across South Asia.
PAKISTAN RAISES KASHMIR AND INDUS WATERS DISPUTES
Pakistan also brought its longstanding disputes with India into the discussions during Muizzu’s visit.
Sharif’s office confirmed that the Pakistani prime minister shared Islamabad’s views on Jammu and Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty during his meeting with the Maldivian president.
India placed the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance in April 2025, a day after the Pahalgam terror attack killed 26 people. New Delhi cited Pakistan’s continued support for cross-border terrorism as the reason for its decision.
During their joint appearance on Wednesday, Sharif warned that any interference with Pakistan’s water supplies would be considered an act of war. However, Muizzu did not make any public statement endorsing Pakistan’s position on Kashmir or the water-sharing treaty.
Alongside the diplomatic discussions, Muizzu received an honorary doctorate in Politics and International Relations from the International Islamic University Islamabad on Wednesday.
Sharif presented the degree at a ceremony held at the Prime Minister’s House, attended by the university’s rector, Professor Ahmed Saad Al Ahmed.
The Maldivian President’s Office said Muizzu dedicated the honour to the people of the Maldives, describing it as recognition of the friendship between the two countries.
IS THE MALDIVES MOVING CLOSER TO PAKISTAN?
Muizzu’s visit marks a significant expansion of Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement with an island nation that holds considerable strategic importance for India.
China has also been seeking to strengthen its presence in the Maldives through infrastructure investments under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Beijing has financed and constructed bridges, housing developments and other infrastructure projects in the archipelago, raising concerns in New Delhi about China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean.
However, the agreements signed during Muizzu’s visit do not establish a Pakistani military presence in the Maldives, and their practical implications remain uncertain.
Muizzu’s government continues to describe its foreign policy as “Maldives First”, emphasising cooperation with multiple international partners rather than exclusive alignment with any one country.
For India, the immediate concern is that Pakistan is expanding its diplomatic engagement in a region that New Delhi considers strategically important to its maritime security.
The long-term significance of Muizzu’s visit will depend on whether the defence and maritime agreements lead to sustained military cooperation or remain primarily diplomatic and economic arrangements.
