Parliament seeks Pakistan's support to host 2028 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Maldives
28 ސެޕްޓެމްބަރު 2026 | ހޯމަ 09:14Speaker of the People’s Majlis Abdul Raheem Abdulla is seeking Pakistan's political support for the Maldives' bid to host the 2028 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
The Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq greets Speaker of the People’s Majlis Abdul Raheem Abdulla. | Daily Times
As Speaker of the People's Majlis Abdul Raheem Abdulla seeks Pakistan's political backing to host the 2028 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in the Maldives, sources indicate that a key objective of this move is to prevent India from hosting the summit.
The Maldivian government has officially announced its bid to host the 2028 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). This follows a statement made last July by Foreign Minister Iritishām Ādam, who expressed the Maldives' interest in hosting the 2028 summit alongside other international conferences. However, the Speaker of Parliament is reportedly seeking Pakistan's assistance not only to bolster support for the Maldives' bid but also to prevent India from hosting the major 2028 gathering.
Officials state that holding this meeting in India is significant for several reasons. India is the most populous member state of the Commonwealth. With over 1.4 billion people, its population accounts for a substantial portion of the Commonwealth's total 2.7 billion inhabitants. Furthermore, India played a pivotal role in the formation of the modern Commonwealth. The 1949 London Declaration stands as a powerful testament to this historical contribution.
India has hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) only once to date, back in 1983 in New Delhi. By 2028, it will have been 45 years since the country last hosted the summit. Looking at the locations of recent and upcoming meetings, the event was held in Rwanda (Africa) in 2022, is scheduled for Samoa (Pacific) in 2024, and will take place in Antigua and Barbuda (Caribbean) in 2026. Given these factors, India holds significant political and historical weight as a candidate to host the 2028 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting representing Asia.
Speaker of the People’s Majlis, Abdul Raheem Abdulla, met with the Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, in Islamabad on September 22. According to an official statement released by the National Assembly of Pakistan, the discussions focused on strengthening bilateral ties, parliamentary relations, and institutional cooperation between the two nations. Evidence suggests that the Maldives is seeking to host the 2028 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), and that Abdul Raheem lobbied for this bid during his visit to Pakistan. Efforts to obtain a comment from the Speaker or the Parliament secretariat regarding this matter have so far been unsuccessful.
