Kabul – India has confirmed that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Committee has temporarily lifted the travel ban on Afghanistan’s Taliban Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, allowing him to visit New Delhi from October 9 to 16, 2025, a request earlier denied.
According to a UNSC statement, “On 30 September 2025, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011) approved an exemption to the travel ban for Amir Khan Muttaqi (TAi.026) to visit New Delhi, India, from 9 to 16 October 2025.”
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed that Muttaqi will travel to India “after the Moscow summit” on October 7, which includes representatives from China, Iran, India, and Central Asian nations.
Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, told reporters on October 3 that the exemption details are “in the public domain.” This marks Muttaqi’s first official visit to India, despite being on the UN Security Council sanctions list since 2001, which includes travel bans and asset freezes.
Jaiswal added that New Delhi has maintained dialogue with the Afghan administration and recently provided humanitarian assistance after the August 31 earthquake in Afghanistan. However, he declined to disclose the purpose of Muttaqi’s upcoming visit.
The visit comes amid strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan and growing Chinese influence in Kabul. Muttaqi’s earlier plan to visit Pakistan on August 4 for a three-day trip was delayed due to what Islamabad described as “procedural issues.”
“There are certain procedural issues we are working through,” said Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan when asked about reports of Muttaqi’s postponed trip. Muttaqi was expected to meet with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and senior officials to discuss key political, economic, and security issues.
India’s Renewed Engagement with Afghanistan
Since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021, India had suspended its diplomatic presence but has gradually resumed engagement. The Indian Embassy in Kabul reopened in 2022 with a technical team, signaling cautious re-engagement with the interim Afghan government. Last year, an Indian delegation also visited Kabul for a series of high-level meetings with Afghan officials.
In May 2025, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar held his first direct conversation with Muttaqi. Earlier in February, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Muttaqi in Dubai, expressing New Delhi’s interest in strengthening political and economic ties, particularly through trade via Iran’s Chabahar Port.
Meanwhile, India-linked outlet Sunday Guardian reported that Afghanistan’s Deputy Interior Minister Ibrahim Sadr, a close aide of Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, held a secret meeting in India following the Pahalgam incident. The report stirred concern in Pakistan, though both Indian and Afghan officials have refrained from confirming or denying the visit.
Expanding Economic Ties
Despite diplomatic challenges, Afghanistan–India trade has continued to grow, reaching $890 million in 2024. Between 2001 and 2021, India invested over 200 billion rupees (approximately USD 2.4 billion) in Afghanistan’s development, including infrastructure, education, and healthcare projects, before withdrawing its diplomats in August 2021.
Since June 2022, India’s engagement has focused on humanitarian aid and technical cooperation, with contacts between the two sides steadily expanding. Muttaqi’s upcoming visit could therefore mark a turning point in New Delhi’s evolving approach toward the Taliban government.
![The JAAC members chant slogans as they attend the funeral prayers of three victims, who were killed in Wednesday’s clashes between police and protesters, in Muzaffarabad, the capital of AJK, Pakistan, on October 2, 2025. [IC:AP]](https://htnworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4645382-1922613421.jpg)
