Temporary Lifting of Travel Ban on Taliban Foreign Minister Ahead of Possible Visit to India

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs announced on Friday that a committee of the United Nations Security Council has decided to temporarily lift the travel ban on the Afghan Taliban's Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, allowing him to visit India between October 9 and 16, in a move that could represent the first official visit by a senior Taliban government official to New Delhi since the group took power in Kabul in 2021.

Muttaqi is subject to UN sanctions that include a travel ban and asset freeze, but such restrictions are sometimes lifted for diplomatic purposes.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has not definitively confirmed the completion of the visit, but it indicated that there has been communication with the Afghan government, especially after providing aid following the earthquake on August 31.

Media reports suggest that Muttaqi will visit Russia first before heading to India, as international circles monitor the developments in the relationship between New Delhi and Kabul, which were previously closely linked when the Taliban was out of power.