For the first time in history, India is going to host Taliban-ruled Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi. The Minister has been allowed by the UN Security Council to travel to the National Capital from October 9 to 16.
Taliban Foreign Minister gets UNSC approval for India visit
The UN Security Council committee, currently chaired by Pakistan, approved Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit to India on September 30, and it was officially confirmed on Thursday. Since Muttaqi is on the list of sanctioned Taliban leaders under UNSC Resolution 1988 (2011), he required this approval.
This marks the first time a Taliban Foreign Minister will travel to New Delhi. The Ministry of External Affairs has not yet given an official statement on the visit. The trip was planned earlier in September but could not proceed until the UNSC committee granted clearance.
India’s ongoing engagement with Afghanistan
India has not officially recognised the Taliban-led government but continues to provide them with humanitarian and development aid. Muttaqi’s visit follows previous contacts with Indian officials, including a conversation with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in May and a meeting with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in Dubai in January.
Jaishankar’s May 15 conversation with Muttaqi came days after India and Pakistan agreed to halt military strikes following the Pahalgam terror attack, which was condemned by Kabul. This was the first political-level contact with the Taliban since they took power in August 2021. The last such contact occurred in 1999-2000 after the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814, when then-Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh spoke with Taliban Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil.
During their conversation, Jaishankar highlighted India’s traditional friendship with the Afghan people and ongoing support for their development needs. He appreciated Muttaqi’s condemnation of the Pahalgam attack and welcomed the Taliban’s rejection of false reports aimed at creating distrust between India and Afghanistan. The Taliban highlighted the importance of strengthening diplomatic and economic ties with New Delhi.
Earlier, in the last week of April, India had sent Joint Secretary M Anand Prakash, in charge of the Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran division, to Kabul. Even before he arrived, the Afghan Foreign Ministry had condemned the Pahalgam attack.