Afghan foreign minister Muttaqi's India visit postponed over UN sanctions

A planned visit to India by Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi this month has been called off in view of an existing travel ban he faces under UN Security Council sanctions, people familiar with the matter said on Friday.

The visit was postponed after he could not get a waiver for the trip, they said.

If the visit had taken place, then it would have been the first ministerial visit from Kabul to India after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021.

The UN Security Council had slapped sanctions against all the leading Taliban leaders and they need to secure a waiver for foreign travels.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, when asked at his weekly media briefing about reports of Muttaqi's proposed visit to India, did not give a direct reply.

"As you are aware, we have longstanding ties with the people of Afghanistan. India continues to support the aspirations and developmental needs of the Afghan people," he said.

"We continue to have engagements with Afghan authorities. If there is an update on this account, we will share it with you," he said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had phone conversation with Muttaqi on May 15. It was the highest level of contact between New Delhi and Kabul since the Taliban came to power.

India has not yet recognised the Taliban set up and has been pitching for the formation of a truly inclusive government in Kabul.

New Delhi has also been insisting that Afghan soil must not be used for any terrorist activities against any country.