Maldivian ambassador under fire over ‘unsanctioned’ meeting with Afghan diplomat

Mohamed Thoha, the Maldivian ambassador to Pakistan, has been penalized after he met with the acting Afghan ambassador to Pakistan Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb in Islamabad on Friday, in a meeting that the Maldivian government said was unsanctioned.

According to international media reports, Thoha – who was appointed as the top Maldivian envoy in Islamabad in July - and Shakeeb had engaged in discussions regarding strengthening relations between Maldives and Afghanistan during the meeting.

In a statement on Sunday, the Maldivian Foreign Ministry said the meet was not sanctioned by the Male’ government.

The ministry also said that the government had taken “appropriate action” against Thoha over the meeting.

The Foreign Ministry said that the Maldivian government said that if follows the United Nations General Assembly “when questions arise when questions arise about the representative character of a government.”

“Consistent with this practice, the Maldives recognizes the government representing Afghanistan at the United Nations as the legitimate government of Afghanistan,” added the ministry.

Taliban forces seized Kabul on August 15, 2021, after the US-backed government collapsed and its leaders fled into exile.

The Taliban government remains unrecognized by any other state.