Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issues instructions to launch direct Pakistan-Maldives flights

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority on Thursday to expedite a feasibility study for direct flights between Pakistan and the Maldives, as Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu announced his country's national airline plans to launch a direct service between Malé and Karachi soon. Speaking at the Pakistan-Maldives Business Forum alongside Muizzu, Sharif said he had instructed the Civil Aviation Ministry to work out arrangements for direct air links. He said a Pakistani delegation of government officials and business representatives would visit Malé within a week to explore trade and investment opportunities. Sharif said improved connectivity was essential to achieving the countries' trade target and called for direct flights between Malé and Islamabad or Karachi, along with 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 arrange for flights at the earliest, with the feasibility study considering Pakistan International Airlines and other domestic carriers. Muizzu said Maldivian, the island nation's national airline, planned to establish a direct air link between Malé and Karachi soon, which would facilitate travel and create opportunities for trade and tourism. Beyond aviation, Muizzu called for closer cooperation in agriculture, healthcare, infrastructure, renewable energy and financial services, saying 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, and that cooperation could extend to cold-chain logistics, temperature-controlled storage, food processing and climate-adaptive agricultural technology. Muizzu 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. He identified healthcare and pharmaceuticals as another potential area of cooperation, saying demand for certified medical supplies would increase as the Maldives expands healthcare facilities beyond regional tertiary hospitals to modern centers on individual islands. He invited Pakistani pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare providers to explore partnerships. Muizzu also encouraged Pakistani construction companies, developers and engineering firms to participate in housing, land reclamation and infrastructure projects. In the energy sector, he said his government seeks to reduce dependence on imported diesel and aims to generate 33% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2028, describing the transition as both an environmental priority and an economic necessity. Other areas 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. Sharif described the visit as an opportunity to give fresh impetus to bilateral trade and investment and urged businesses in both countries to translate the $200 million trade target into practical plans backed by concrete initiatives. Muizzu 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.