Pakistan and the Maldives at Sixty

Pakistan and the Maldives established diplomatic relations on 26 July 1966, one year after Maldivian independence. Sixty years on, the state visit of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu to Islamabad gave the friendship its broadest agenda yet. This backgrounder traces the relationship’s origins, its shared heritage and milestones, what the October 2026 visit agreed, and how ties can grow at every level.

This backgrounder explains:

• What the two nations share in faith, history and culture;
• How diplomatic ties began and grew over sixty years;
• What happened during the October 2026 state visit;
• What the 20 MoUs and accompanying commitments cover; and
• How ties can be built at every level, from leaders to citizens.

Origins: A Friendship as Old as Maldivian Statehood

The Maldives became independent on 26 July 1965. Exactly one year later, on 26 July 1966, it established diplomatic relations with Pakistan. The Maldivian President’s Office has described Pakistan as one of the first countries to recognise the Maldives as an independent nation.

Both are Muslim-majority republics and members of the Commonwealth, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that the two usually take coordinated positions at the United Nations, the OIC and SAARC. Habib Bank Limited has served the Maldives since 1976, and the Maldives opened its High Commission in Islamabad in 2008.

Shared Heritage: Faith, Ocean and Culture

Long before the two states established relations, the peoples of the Indus valley and the Maldive atolls belonged to the same Indian Ocean world. Islam reached the Maldives in 1153, and it is the state religion of both countries today. The fourteenth-century traveller Ibn Battuta crossed the Indus in 1333 and later lived in the Maldives, a reminder that both lands sat on the same routes of scholarship and trade.

Urdu and Dhivehi both belong to the Indo-Aryan family and are written from right to left. At the table, rice and curries are staples in both countries, Maldivian roshi is a close cousin of the Pakistani roti, and tea is the language of hospitality in Malé as much as in Lahore or Karachi.

Sixty Years in Milestones

High-level contact has come in waves. President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom visited Pakistan during his presidency and attended the 2004 SAARC Summit in Islamabad. President Abdulla Yameen made a state visit in May 2015, and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was chief guest at Maldivian Independence Day in July 2017. Since President Muizzu took office in November 2023, engagement has quickened: he met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the UN General Assembly in September 2024, and the two parliaments exchanged Speaker-level visits in December 2025 and September 2026.

The State Visit of October 2026

President Muizzu arrived in Islamabad on 20 October with First Lady Sajidha Mohamed and a delegation of ministers and senior officials, and was received with a 21-gun salute. On 21 October he received a tri-service guard of honour at the Prime Minister’s House, held restricted and delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and witnessed the exchange of 20 MoUs.

The same day, the International Islamic University, Islamabad, conferred an honorary doctorate in Politics and International Relations on the President. Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir called on him, and President Asif Ali Zardari hosted a state banquet at Aiwan-e-Sadr. On 22 October, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif opened the Pakistan–Maldives Business Forum.

The visit reached beyond the conference room. The President and First Lady toured Lok Virsa, the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage, and the Pakistan Monument. First Lady Sajidha Mohamed visited the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan and the National Institute of Health, and met First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari.

In His Words

“…the only way for agreements to work is to produce results.”

What Was Agreed

The 20 MoUs cover information technology, health, education, social protection, defence, maritime security, agriculture, fisheries, technical and vocational training, youth and sports, air connectivity, tourism, arts and heritage, environmental protection and combating illicit trafficking, as well as civil aviation, law enforcement and civil service cooperation. Others provide for the construction of a medical school and the resumption of air services.

Alongside the MoUs, the two governments announced:

• Trade: raise bilateral trade from about US$13 million to US$200 million within two years, and convene the Joint Economic Commission early.
• Food and medicines: essential food commodities and pharmaceuticals for the Maldives, including through government-to-government arrangements.
• Scholarships: 20 additional undergraduate scholarships a year for Maldivian students.
• Climate: 100,000 olive cuttings and 100,000 seeds over 12 months, and nurseries for one million plants in three years, for the Five Million Tree Initiative.
• Air and sea links: a study of direct flights to Malé and a shipping plan from Karachi or Gwadar.
• Follow-up: a delegation of Pakistani business leaders and officials to visit the Maldives about a week after the visit.

Why the Partnership Matters

For the Maldives, Pakistan offers practical inputs an ocean nation of half a million people values: food and medicines, health professionals, training for civil servants and police, and university scholarships.

For Pakistan, the Maldives is a trusted partner in the Indian Ocean, with which it shares faith, a regional organisation and a common voice on issues such as Palestine.

For the region, both support reviving SAARC so that South Asia’s eight nations can address shared challenges together, and as climate-vulnerable states both seek a stronger voice on climate finance and resilience.

Building Ties at Every Level

Turning the agenda into a lasting partnership calls for engagement across government and society. SAT recommends:

• Leaders and ministries: a published plan, with a lead agency and timeline, for each of the 20 MoUs.
• Parliaments: regular exchanges between the two parliamentary friendship groups.
• Business: regular Joint Economic Commission sessions and chamber-to-chamber links.
• Connectivity: a direct flight, starting with a seasonal service, and a pilot cargo route.
• Education and health: university partnerships and an alumni network of Maldivians trained in Pakistan.
• Think tanks and media: an annual Track 1.5 dialogue and journalist exchanges.
• Culture and youth: cultural weeks, an exhibition on shared Indian Ocean heritage and youth leadership exchanges.

These are SAT proposals for consideration, not commitments announced by either government.

Conclusion

For sixty years, Pakistan and the Maldives have been friends united by faith, linked by the ocean and steadfast in support of each other in the world’s councils. President Muizzu’s state visit has given that friendship a new ambition. At the joint press stakeout, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the two countries would keep strengthening their relations for all time to come. With engagement at every level, the sixtieth anniversary can open a new chapter: a partnership as close in daily life as it has always been in spirit.

SAT Research Desk