Maldives President Muizzu gets guard of honour in Pakistan visit

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan rolled out a formal welcome for Maldivian President Dr Mohamed Muizzu on Wednesday, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hosted the visiting leader at the Prime Minister’s House, signalling renewed efforts to strengthen bilateral ties and expand economic cooperation between the two countries.

Muizzu, who arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday for a three-day visit at the invitation of the prime minister, received a guard of honour from smartly turned-out contingents of Pakistan’s three armed forces.

The visit marks the first by a Maldivian president to Pakistan in 11 years and coincides with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, established in 1966.

During the welcoming ceremony, Muizzu shook hands with federal ministers, while Shehbaz Sharif greeted the visiting president and members of his delegation. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the ceremony reflected Pakistan’s warm welcome for its South Asian partner.

The visiting dignitary also planted a sapling at the Prime Minister’s House, followed by prayers for the progress and prosperity of both countries.

Beyond the ceremonial welcome, the visit is expected to provide an opportunity for Islamabad and Male to explore new avenues of cooperation across several sectors, including trade, investment, education, tourism and climate change.

According to the Foreign Office, Muizzu is scheduled to meet President Asif Ali Zardari and hold restricted and delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

A Pakistan-Maldives Business Forum is also planned as part of the visit, bringing together business representatives from both countries to explore commercial partnerships, investment opportunities and stronger private-sector engagement.

Earlier on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Muizzu and welcomed him and his delegation to Pakistan.

During their meeting, Dar emphasised the importance of expanding bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade, investment, education, climate change and tourism.

He also welcomed the Maldivian business delegation participating in the business forum and expressed hope that business-to-business engagements would translate into concrete trade and investment opportunities.

Muizzu, in turn, expressed the Maldives’ desire to deepen its close relations with Pakistan and identify new areas of mutually beneficial cooperation, according to the Foreign Office.

The visit follows continued high-level contacts between the two countries. Last month, Maldivian parliamentary speaker Abdul Raheem Abdullah met Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s chief of army staff and chief of defence forces, in Rawalpindi.

The previous presidential visit from the Maldives took place in May 2015, when then-president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom visited Pakistan at the invitation of then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

As Pakistan and the Maldives mark six decades of diplomatic relations, Muizzu’s visit offers both governments an opportunity to build on longstanding ties and pursue practical cooperation in areas of shared interest. The outcome of the planned talks and business engagements will help determine how effectively the renewed diplomatic momentum translates into stronger economic and regional partnerships.