"We are no one’s pawn": Muizzu rejects reliance on India in sweeping defense shift toward Pakistan

Defending his administration’s recent bilateral pacts with Pakistan, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has taken an indirect swipe at the former administration’s closeness to New Delhi, insisting that Maldives will no longer play the role of a "puppet" to any foreign power.

The remarks follow mounting unease in India over Malé formalizing security and defense ties with Islamabad, New Delhi's long-standing regional adversary. While India continues to serve as a pivotal financial and strategic ally to the current administration, observers fear these new defense links could challenge Indian security calculations in the Indian Ocean.

Appearing on the state-run "Nation Chat" podcast, Muizzu maintained that the Maldivian public has no desire to return to the diplomatic posture of past regimes. Though he stopped short of naming India directly, the target of his critique was unmistakable.

"Being a puppet of a specific country is not acceptable. It is not something the Maldivian people embrace. Therefore, by the grace of God, we have spent the past three years systematically burying that policy," 

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.

Muizzu stood by the defense agreements signed with Pakistan, stressing that the Maldives refuses to get dragged into the rivalries or disputes of other nations. He noted that despite campaigns to tarnish the nation's reputation or circulate misinformation, the Maldives will continue to function as a principled actor regionally and globally.

Framing the Pakistani accords as vital for national defense and the protection of the country's extensive exclusive economic zone, the President stated his government will actively consult partner states especially Islamic countries, to bolster the country's military strength and territorial defenses.

He argued that leaning on foreign powers to police domestic territorial waters runs counter to genuine sovereignty, citing that exact dependency as the reason his administration procured surveillance drones and upgraded the Coast Guard's operational reach.

"If we have to constantly seek the help of various parties to manage our own affairs, we are not truly independent. In such a state, one remains perpetually compromised and under the subjugation of others," 

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.

Addressing the withdrawal of overseas forces, Muizzu confirmed that foreign military personnel are no longer based within Maldivian borders.

"Our policy is to end the situation where the country was tilted towards one side, where foreign troops were present, and where foreign military control existed over the Maldives. We aim to establish and maintain the Maldives as a proud, independent, and sovereign nation with full territorial integrity," 

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.

During the Maldivian leader's recent trip to Pakistan, the two sides concluded 20 bilateral agreements spanning multiple sectors, led by arrangements to bolster defense collaboration and maritime security. Muizzu also engaged with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, on broadening military training programs, while setting an ambitious target to scale bilateral trade to USD 200 million over the coming two years.