Maldives–Pakistan relations


Maldives–Pakistan relations are the foreign relations between Pakistan and the Maldives. Both countries have a friendly relationship due to same religious, social and economical aspects. As both countries have Islam as the state religion, and are members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Both Pakistan and the Maldives were part of the British Empire.

Country Comparison

Economic Relations

The economic relations with Maldives are minimal due to lack of direct shipping services between Male’ and Karachi. Total trade between the two countries in 2003-04 was just US$2.1 million. In October 2005, the Pakistan-Maldives Joint Economic Commission commenced.

Trade and Investment

Political relations

The present building of the Maldivian Parliament was inaugurated on 1 August 1998, with the presence of Pakistan's then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The building was built with the assistance of the Pakistani government, who provided a grant of Rs. 45 million for its construction.

Security Relations

Intelligence Operations

Pakistan has used the Maldives as an outpost for its spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence.

State visits

The Maldives attended the 12th SAARC Summit at Islamabad in January 2004. On the sidelines of the Summit, President and Prime Minister of Pakistan had bilateral meetings with the President of Maldives. The Foreign Secretary held bilateral consultations with the Foreign Secretary of the Maldives on the sidelines of the SAARC Standing Committee meeting in Kathmandu.
In November 2004, Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz visited the Maldives and met with President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Aziz offered to extend credit facility, scholarships, collaboration in scientific and technological fields and training of civil servants, defence and security personnel to Maldives.

Recent improvements in bilateral relations

On 25 June 2017 prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his wife Kalsoom Nawaz Sharif were invited by president Abdulla Yameen on occasion of the independence day of Maldives. Since the start of 2018 Maldives political crisis relations have improved dramatically as the opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed invited India to launch a military intervention on his behalf against the government. President Yameen sent envoys to friendly countries which included Pakistan. Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited Maldives in late March 2018 and became the first foreign high-ranking official to visit the country since the crisis began in February.
However in an OIC meeting in 2019, Maldives pipped Pakistan to support India on Kashmir Issue by calling it an internal matter.