Muizza could reignite the anti-India campaign: Former Maldives minister Abdullah Shahid

Days after Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu visited Pakistan on a bilateral visit that yielded many deals, former Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid accused him of going in an “anti-Indian” direction.

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Mr Shahid, who is running to head the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) ahead of the 2028 presidential election, claimed that Mr Muizzu, who enjoyed a cordial relationship with Delhi for most of his tenure, would revive the 2023 “India Out” campaign.

“The President (Mr. Muizzu) is again trying to make India an issue because he has not been able to fulfill his tasks for him. He has not been able to provide any development or fulfill any of the promises and therefore, they will come again in the next elections, he will try to create some hate story,” Mr. Shahid, who was the foreign minister during the tenure of the previous president and 208 Solih won a208 the20 UN General Assembly with India’s support in 2021, he told The Hindu in an interview here.

A Maldivian government spokesman did not respond to a request for a response to Mr Shahid’s comments.

Mr Shahid called for more transparency on the 20 memoranda of understanding signed between the Maldives and Pakistan when President Muizzu left for a three-day visit to Islamabad from October 20 to 22, the first such visit by a Maldivian president since 2015. Following talks between Mr Muizzu and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the two sides announced agreements on defence, counter-traffic and security in many areas. narcotics, information technology, cyber security and artificial intelligence. They agreed to start direct flights between Male and Islamabad. In particular, Mr Muizza’s meeting with Pakistan’s Field Marshal and Army Chief General Asim Munir raised eyebrows in Delhi. Mr Muizza also called for the revival of SAARC, which has been on hold since 2016 when India pulled out of the Islamabad summit over cross-border terrorism.

“We don’t want the Maldives to be drawn into disputes with our neighbours,” Mr Shahid said, demanding that the Muizza government make a statement in parliament on the nature of the agreements signed with Pakistan. “We must seek to expand our relationship with everyone who has goodwill towards the Maldives, but it should not come at the expense of our own friends, our established relationships,” he added.

When asked about Mr Muizza’s visit to Pakistan on Friday, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said the government was “closely monitoring” the development and “will take whatever appropriate action is required”. Responding to the comments on SAARC, Mr Jaiswal said it was “one country”, suggesting Pakistan had “stopped” the functioning of SAARC, and India was interested in strengthening regional cooperation.

Mr. Shahid’s comments to The Hindu indicate that relations with India may once again become an issue in the Maldivian elections. Mr. Solih lost the 2023 election due to the “India Out” campaign of the People’s National Congress (PNC), led by Mr. Muizzu, against what he claimed was undue Indian influence in the island chain, notably accusing the Solih government of allowing India to build military bases in infrastructure projects that India had built.

Mr. Muizzu also demanded that Indian Air Force personnel stationed at three locations in the Maldives, including Gan Island and Hanimadhoo Atoll, operating aircraft provided by India to the Maldives, be removed. While there were tensions with the Modi government early in Mr Muizza’s tenure and he decided to travel to Turkey, the UAE and China before visiting India, relations improved after India agreed to withdraw military personnel and replace them with civilian personnel.

In June 2024, a month after the last batch of 89 Indian workers were withdrawn, Mr Muizzu visited India to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony and then returned in October 2024 for a bilateral visit where India offered the Maldives several economic support measures, including a currency swap deal to help the Maldives avoid a debt default.

Mr Shahid, who is running in the MDP primary election next year, is expected to face stiff competition from his other former cabinet colleagues, including former economy minister Fayyaz Ismail, who has the support of current MDP chief and former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed.

Mr Shahid and Mr Solih were Mr Nasheed’s rivals during the previous government, but the opposition has united under the MDP to fight the ruling PNC.

Preparations for the 2028 elections have intensified after the PNC confirmed Mr Muizza to enter 2028 and the MDP held its party congress, which endorsed the “Big Change” ticket for constitutional reform proposed by Mr Ismail.

Mr Shahid is in India to attend the Words Beyond Borders International Literary Festival and is expected to support the campaign for a friendlier India. Asked if he would support an “India-first” campaign like Mr. Solih, Mr. Shahid said his outreach would always be “India-first” in foreign policy but not in domestic issues, which are sovereign.

“India has always been our first responder. India has always been a generous development partner. India is our immediate neighbor which has been consistent in its relations with the Maldives. So our history proves that the relationship is right,” he said, referring to the close ties between India and the Maldives since 1965, when the Maldives gained independence from British rule.

Published – 25 Oct 2026 22:39 IST