Building an "Axis of Influence," Creating an "Axis of Resistance" Last week’s state visit by Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu to Pakistan, where he held discussions with de facto ruler Asim Munir and signed 20 agreements spanning defense, maritime security, cybersecurity, AI and intelligence sharing, has raised significant geopolitical red flags in New Delhi. It signals that, despite India’s overtures and concessions (including bilateral bailouts, debt extensions and currency swaps to shore up the Maldivian economy), the Islamist-leaning Muizzu has not fully abandoned the anti-India plank that helped catapult him to power. He took office in November 2023 after campaigning on an “India Out” platform. As president, Muizzu has softened his public rhetoric toward India. But after securing critical financial lifelines from New Delhi for his cash-strapped country, he concluded free-trade agreements with China and Turkey. Muizzu’s agreements with Islamabad, including commitments to deepen defense and intelligence ties with Pakistan, underscore that his underlying strategy remains one of strategic hedging against India. Bringing Pakistan into defense capacity-building in the Indian Ocean, where the Maldives sits astride key sea lines of communication (SLOCs), directly challenges India’s strategic depth and naval surveillance in its immediate neighborhood. As a hedge against India, Muizzu appears to be facilitating a Sino-Pakistani “Axis of Influence” along the SLOCs in the Maldives’ strategic periphery. This could be viewed in New Delhi as an attempt to construct an “Axis of Resistance” against India.