The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed the Maldives’ Ambassador to Pakistan, Mohamed Thoha, following his unsanctioned meeting with Afghanistan’s acting Ambassador to Pakistan.
The decision comes amid concerns that the meeting may suggest an endorsement of the Taliban Government in Afghanistan, as the Ministry confirmed that Thoha met the Taliban representative without the government’s knowledge.
While the Ministry has yet to make its decision public, a reliable source, according to local media, has confirmed that Thoha has been sacked over the issue and has also been instructed to return to the Maldives.
In a statement on Sunday, the Maldives Government clarified its position, affirming that the meeting was “not sanctioned by the Government of Maldives” and that “appropriate actions have been taken in response.”
The government also highlighted its commitment to the practices followed by the United Nations General Assembly regarding the representative character of a government, reiterating that “the Maldives recognises the Government representing Afghanistan at the United Nations as the legitimate Government of Afghanistan.”
Thoha had previously, in May, been appointed Ambassador to Saudi Arabia; however, he was later appointed Ambassador to Pakistan in June.
The Maldives has maintained diplomatic relations with Afghanistan since formal ties were established in March 2006. In December 2018, the Maldives acknowledged Afghanistan’s right to self-governance, a move that preceded the establishment of a Taliban government in August 2021.