Maldivian president due to arrive in Islamabad tomorrow

E-Paper | March 18, 2026

ISLAMABAD: Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad tomorrow (Wednesday) on a two-day official visit.

Official sources told Dawn that during his first ever visit to Pakistan, President Gayoom would meet his counterpart Mamnoon Hussain and would also call upon Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

President Gayoom was scheduled to visit Islamabad last year in August but did not make the trip due to the political crisis in the country and the sit-ins outside the Parliament by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awaami Tehreek (PAT).

Take a look: Maldivian president cancels visit to Pakistan

Maldives is part of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) and matters relating to SAARC and regional issues would be discussed when leadership of both countries would meet in Islamabad, sources said.

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Akram

Feb 24, 2015 11:48am

After arrest of opposition leader, he is visiting to make a political point directed at India.

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hyat

Feb 24, 2015 11:50am

welcome.

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zak

Feb 24, 2015 12:01pm

wow! Maldives president too coming. Pakistan must be considered a regional power for so many heads coming of their own accord. not to the liking of some, who would like to believe, Pakistan is isolated.

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Akbaruddin

Feb 24, 2015 12:24pm

@zak Yes Zak. It is a great news indeed. One super power is visiting another super power. It is history in making.

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Humor.as.Armor

Feb 24, 2015 12:28pm

@zak : Coming to discuss how to stash away funds . One down from SL. 2 to go . After ,2100 if anyone wants to visit this island , they would have to use Indian submarines as it is to be submerged fully by then.

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Ahmed USA

Feb 24, 2015 12:29pm

Welcome President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom...people of your brotherly nation Pakistan await your arrival!!! You may send any foreign service official to meet Modi instead...

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dewgrass11

Feb 24, 2015 12:40pm

all maldivians should be accomodated by pakistan.. no maldivian is welcome here in India.. as its people are pro ISIS.. and religiously radical.. no simply celebrating presidents visit. these small countries takes political advantages of regional conflicts.

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Talking Point

Feb 24, 2015 12:40pm

@Ahmed USA : Atleast they would have a top official. In doddering Sartaj Aziz , you have a topLESS official who seems to have no CPU but only flash player.

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Shamain

Feb 24, 2015 12:46pm

@Akbaruddin yes insha Allah we will be supa powers one day. Worry abt ur country. So updates on nuclear deal. Anyways, thats a good news.

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Talking Point

Feb 24, 2015 12:52pm

Very clearly this President who has lost the mandate of the coalition is in Pak just to feel if it would help in case of any intervention by India . If the worst meet with the worst , he may become another Saeed Hafeez under the Ignominious Services Inspectorate .

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zak

Feb 24, 2015 12:57pm

@Akbaruddin A regional power welcomes small and big, strong or weak-we are not condescending to anyone.

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zak

Feb 24, 2015 01:00pm

@Humor.as.Armor oh, so the vilification of Maldives president begins, because Maldives, which India thought it virtually dictated to, has been proven wrong. Maldives looks after its own interest. To be a regional power, it has to be respected-and India is not respected or taken seriously. end of story.

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zak

Feb 24, 2015 01:02pm

@Humor.as.Armor Use Indian submarine-well that's the end of that-that submarine will never surface again, and all our regional navies will end up spending millions looking for this sunken museum piece.

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h4b

Feb 24, 2015 01:17pm

@zak recently there was no water to drink. India sent cargo to make sure they breathe easy.

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Ahmed USA

Feb 24, 2015 01:22pm

@dewgrass11 Pakistan works with everybody in the region... We don't take sides or foment trouble in other countries affairs...

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farhad

Feb 24, 2015 01:27pm

two novices...

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Ahmed USA

Feb 24, 2015 01:45pm

@Shamain well said...

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Maxx.

Feb 24, 2015 01:47pm

Every smaller neighbor of India is sick and tired of Indian hegemony, be it Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and now tiny Maldives. When India will start to be inclusive and accommodating and stop bullying smaller countries.

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Shamain

Feb 24, 2015 01:52pm

@h4b ,dats cool now remove farakka dam from bengldeshi waters dat u have bullyingly built and bengalis are suffering. Its their water u are stealing. Kitna zulm u wanna do?

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mukut

Feb 24, 2015 01:56pm

Pak also don't have democracy as well Maldive. Elected PM in pak is just rubber stamp and no opposition leader. Maldive also do't have elected leader and opposition leader. So keep visiting such countries.

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Raza

Feb 24, 2015 02:05pm

Since the opposition leader and former president who was arrested recently seems to be having strong ties with India, this gentleman is visiting Pakistan in order to make a statement. What desperate visit with a cover of discussing "regional affairs". I doubt Maldives can contribute anything for regional development.

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Kiran

Feb 24, 2015 02:06pm

What are the objectives of the visit? For any head to visit another country, a set of objectives, goals, desired direction in terms of international politics, international trade are widely discussed. This article just says something like someone is riding a rikshaw.

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dewgrass11

Feb 24, 2015 02:07pm

@Ahmed USA " We don't take sides or foment trouble in other countries affairs..." if pak would have followed ur advise long back in doing afghan adventurism backing jihadists and haqqani networks tp play a role in afghan.. then it would'n have suffered this fate now with day after day bomb blasts.

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Molvi

Feb 24, 2015 02:08pm

Welcome to Pakistan sir

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Robin

Feb 24, 2015 03:59pm

Their is no such country with the name Maldives after 2025,,,,,

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Ahmet USA

Feb 24, 2015 04:49pm

Welcome Mr President. Let's take the Pak- Maldives friendship to the heights of Mount Everest and depth of the Pacific Ocean. Let's sign MoUs with the president. Pakistan and Maldives have a lot to offer to each other

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Shamain

Feb 24, 2015 05:11pm

@RobinTheir is no such country with the name Maldives after 2025,,,,," No no we are talking abt maldives here not endia. U didnt read headline. Omg u missed it.

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Ali (CA)

Feb 24, 2015 05:32pm

@Akbaruddin - does not matter at least Maldives does not host the most poor in the world. The main point is, one can laugh at Indians point of view how they can stay happy either by thinking Pak is isolated or the visiting guest is no super power. What a putty at your mind set

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Akhtar

Feb 24, 2015 06:53pm

Good news. Trade should be discussed. Opportunities explored. Pakistan should make it easy to do business.

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Indian

Feb 24, 2015 10:02pm

Unfortunately most of the pakistanis don't know what's going in Maldives. If they knew, they wouldn't have welcomed this current president. Anyway, if you feel happy then enjoy the feeling.

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