President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced plans to launch direct flights between Malé and Karachi, following his return from an official state visit to Pakistan to mark 60 years of diplomatic relations. The announcement was made during the Maldives-Pakistan Business Forum 2026 held in Islamabad.
During the visit, the two countries signed 20 memoranda of understanding spanning key areas including trade, healthcare, education, defense, and tourism. The primary goal of these agreements is to boost bilateral trade from its current $14 million to $200 million within the next two years.
Addressing the forum, President Muizzu highlighted emerging opportunities in Islamic finance and pledged to establish stronger regulatory frameworks to encourage foreign investment. In addition, Finance Minister Hassan Zareer emphasized the administration's commitment to fiscal discipline, noting that the government has successfully settled $1.4 billion in state debt.
While the administration pursues closer international ties and major bilateral deals, some citizens have raised concerns over domestic priorities, pointing to pressing local issues such as rising domestic travel costs that remain unaddressed.
