ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to expedite a feasibility study for direct flights between Pakistan and Maldives, as Maldivian President Dr Mohamed Muizzu announced plans by his country’s national airline to launch a direct service between Malé and Karachi soon.
Addressing the Pakistan-Maldives Business Forum alongside Maldivian President Dr Muizzu, the prime minister said he had directed the Civil Aviation Ministry to work out arrangements for direct air links.
He said that a Pakistani delegation comprising government officials and business representatives would visit Malé within a week to explore trade and investment opportunities.
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Sharif said improved connectivity was essential to achieving the trade target, calling for direct flights between Malé and Islamabad or Karachi and a reliable maritime shipping schedule linking Karachi or Gwadar with the Maldivian capital.
He said the CAA would invite a Maldivian delegation to Pakistan to work out arrangements for launching flights at the earliest. The feasibility study would consider Pakistan International Airlines and other domestic carriers.
Muizzu, meanwhile, said Maldivian, the island nation’s national airline, planned to establish a direct air link between Malé and Karachi soon.
The service would facilitate travel and create opportunities for trade and tourism, he added.
Beyond air connectivity, the Maldivian president called for closer cooperation in sectors ranging from agriculture and healthcare to infrastructure, renewable energy and financial services, arguing that the two countries’ economic partnership remained well below its potential.
He said Pakistan’s agricultural production could help strengthen food security in the Maldives, which relies heavily on dependable supply chains.
Cooperation could extend beyond agricultural trade to cold-chain logistics, temperature-controlled storage, food processing and climate-adaptive agricultural technology, he added.
Muizzu also urged shipping companies, port operators and logistics businesses to establish direct, commercially viable maritime connections between the two countries, describing sea connectivity as an economic lifeline for the Maldives.
Healthcare and pharmaceuticals were another potential area of cooperation. He said demand for certified medical supplies would increase as the Maldives expanded healthcare facilities beyond regional tertiary hospitals to modern centres on individual islands.
He invited Pakistani pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare providers to explore partnerships.
Pakistani construction companies, developers and engineering firms were also encouraged to participate in housing, land reclamation and infrastructure projects. In the energy sector, Muizzu highlighted opportunities for cooperation as his government seeks to reduce the country’s dependence on imported diesel.
The Maldives aims to generate 33 percent of its electricity requirements from renewable sources by 2028, he said, describing the transition as both an environmental priority and an economic necessity.
Other areas identified for collaboration included information technology, education, tourism, halal products and Islamic finance.
Muizzu proposed exploring sukuk, Sharia-compliant investment instruments and Islamic financial services to strengthen links between the two countries and expand their participation in the global Islamic economy.
Prime Minister Sharif described the visit as an opportunity to give fresh impetus to bilateral trade and investment.
He urged businesses in both countries to translate the USD 200 million target into practical plans backed by concrete initiatives and closer coordination.
Muizzu, in turn, called on Pakistani businesses to view the Maldives not merely as an export market but as a partner for long-term investment and joint ventures.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026