A Pakistani naval warship completed a three-day port call in Malé this week, as an Indian Navy surveillance aircraft was tracked operating near Maldivian waters.
The Pakistan Navy frigate PNS Saif, a 123-metre missile-equipped vessel commissioned in 2009, visited the Maldives from 29–31 October, according to the Pakistani High Commission in Malé. Photos released by the High Commission showed diplomats and defence officials onboard the vessel during the port call.
The High Commission said the visit was expected to strengthen bilateral relations with the Maldives “along a positive trajectory,” while thanking President Mohamed Muizzu and Defence Minister Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon for their support.
The Maldivian government and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) have issued no public statements regarding the visit or any joint activities conducted during the ship’s stay.
PNS Saif, capable of carrying around 215 personnel and equipped with surface-to-air and anti-ship missiles alongside a helicopter deck, is the second Pakistani naval vessel to visit the Maldives this year. In March, PNS Aslat conducted joint maritime patrols and training with the MNDF Coast Guard, during which the MNDF deployed the Indian-donated patrol vessel Shaheed Ali, according to sources familiar with the operation.
The latest visit comes amid growing defence engagement between the Maldives and Pakistan. In October, Pakistan’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, held meetings in Malé with President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, Defence Minister Ghassan Maumoon, and Chief of Defence Force Major General Ibrahim Hilmy. Discussions reportedly centred on strengthening bilateral military cooperation.
On the same day as PNS Saif’s arrival, flight-tracking data showed an Indian Navy P-8I Neptune aircraft flying east of Malé at an altitude of 18,000 feet. The aircraft, registered as IN3, was operating closest to Kaafu Atoll, where the capital is located.
The P-8I, built by Boeing and based at the Indian Naval Air Station INS Hansa in Goa, is used for maritime reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare, and surveillance missions.
A similar pattern was recorded in March when PNS Aslat was docked in the Maldives and another Indian P-8I, registered as IN329, was tracked flying over Maldivian airspace from the same Indian base.