UNSC Grants Travel Exemption for Amir Khan Muttaqi’s Visit to India

DID Press: UN Security Council has granted a special exemption allowing Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban-appointed Foreign Minister, to travel to India from October 9 to 24. This decision comes after previous requests for similar trips to India and Pakistan were denied.

On Thursday (October 2), the UN Security Council approved the exemption, permitting Muttaqi to visit New Delhi. According to the decision, Muttaqi is scheduled to travel from October 9 to 24.

This move marks a significant shift, as previous foreign trips by Muttaqi – one to India in September and another to Pakistan in June – had been canceled due to the Security Council’s refusal to lift the travel ban. Sources close to the UN Security Council had earlier confirmed that the United States opposed Kabul’s request for Muttaqi’s visit to Islamabad.

Analysts view this exemption as an indication of a potential change in the international community’s engagement with the Taliban government, especially considering that a recent American delegation, led by Adam Boehler and accompanied by Zalmay Khalilzad, visited Kabul to meet with senior Taliban officials.

While Muttaqi’s upcoming visit to India is officially described as a “temporary exemption,” it could provide the Taliban with an opportunity to reassert its diplomatic position in the region. This development may have significant implications for Afghanistan’s relations with its neighbors, particularly Pakistan and Iran.