Taliban foreign minister to visit India after UN grants travel ban exemption

Kabul: Afghanistan’s Taliban foreign minister is set to visit India this month after the UN Security Council Committee temporarily lifted his travel restrictions, the Afghan foreign ministry confirmed to AFP on Saturday.

Amir Khan Muttaqi will be the first senior Taliban leader to travel to India since the group regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, following the withdrawal of United States forces.

The foreign ministry told AFP the minister would go to India "after the Moscow summit" on October 7, which includes representatives from China, India, Iran and Central Asian nations.

The UN Security Council Committee has granted an exemption to the travel ban on Muttaqi, who is under UN sanctions, to allow him to visit New Delhi between October 9 and 16.

India's point-person on Afghanistan Anand Prakash visited Kabul in April to discuss political and trade relations.

Russia is the only country so far to have officially recognised the Taliban government, which has imposed a strict version of Islamic law.

The Taliban government, which recently released several American and British prisoners, says it wants to have good relations with other countries, notably the United States, despite the 20-year war against US-led forces.

Most countries advise against travel to Afghanistan. The announcement of the India visit comes just days after the Taliban authorities shut down Afghanistan's internet and mobile networks.

The authorities still have not commented on why they imposed a telecoms blackout for 48 hours.

AFP