26 July, 2017
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Tuesday emphasized the importance of economic cooperation, especially the need to enhance bilateral trade between Pakistan and Maldives, observing it was now below its true potential.
The prime minister also highlighted possibilities of cooperation in other sectors, including defence, health, education, sports, fisheries, tourism and culture. "Both the countries closely coordinate with each other at regional and global fora on issues of mutual importance", the Foreign Office said in a statement.
Highly placed diplomatic sources told The News here on Monday that a number of MoUs/agreements for cooperation in various fields would also be signed after the talks.
The secretariat went on to say that there were enhanced security arrangements in the Maldivian capital of Male due to Independence Day celebrations and the lawmakers were notified that no sessions or committees of the parliament would be scheduled between July 23 and July 31. Both the countries closely coordinate with each other at regional and global forums on issues of mutual importance.
He expressed best wishes for the prosperity and development of the people of Maldives.
The Maldives parliament was shut on Monday after President Abdulla Yameen ordered troops to evict legislators and prevent an impeachment of his speaker, the opposition said, in the latest turmoil in the honeymoon islands.
Politicians defied the ban on Monday, fighting off riot police and scaling metre-high walls to enter the parliament compound.
Maldives military on Monday took over the country's Parliament and barred lawmakers from entering the building in a bid to stop the impeachment of Speaker and the President's close ally Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed over allegations of corruption, mismanagement and rights abuses.
But the ruling party dismissed the motion after Yameen announced that four of the defectors had lost their parliamentary seats due to changing loyalties.
"This is clearly unconstitutional". A few appear to have been injured.
