News Desk
ISLAMABAD — President Dr Mohamed Muizzu met with the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Wednesday evening, continuing a high-profile state visit aimed at cementing six decades of bilateral ties.
Upon their arrival at the official presidential residence, President Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed were received by President Zardari and Ms Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, First Lady of Pakistan and Member of the National Assembly. While the two presidents held formal bilateral discussions, the First Ladies conducted separate official engagements.
During the meeting, President Zardari expressed deep appreciation for the visit—the first by a Maldivian head of state in a decade—noting that the Pakistani public was delighted to welcome leadership from Malé after such a long hiatus.
The two leaders reviewed the longstanding brotherly relations between the Maldives and Pakistan, discussing avenues to expand cooperation in trade, higher education, healthcare, and human resource capacity building. President Zardari commended the remarkable growth of the Maldivian tourism sector and expressed confidence that the twenty memoranda of understanding exchanged earlier in the day would elevate bilateral relations to new heights.
President Muizzu conveyed his gratitude for the exceptional hospitality shown to his delegation, emphasizing the shared historical and cultural bonds uniting the two nations.
Following their formal talks, President Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed attended a state banquet hosted in their honor by President Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr.
The banquet was attended by cabinet ministers and senior government officials from both countries, marking a festive capstone to the third day of the presidential itinerary. President Muizzu’s state visit concludes on Thursday, 22 October 2026, coinciding with the diamond jubilee of diplomatic relations established between the two countries on 26 July 1966.
