Overview
- Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi concluded a six-day trip to India on October 15 after meetings in New Delhi and a high-profile visit to Darul Uloom Deoband.
- External affairs minister S. Jaishankar said India will upgrade its technical mission in Kabul to a fully functioning embassy.
- Muttaqi’s travel to India was permitted under a temporary exemption from UN sanctions that otherwise restrict his movement.
- An initial press interaction at the Afghan embassy in Delhi barred women journalists, drawing criticism, and a subsequent briefing included them after officials called the exclusion a technical issue.
- Lyricist Javed Akhtar condemned the warm reception for the Taliban minister, and the BJP responded with a sharp rebuttal from spokesperson Niranjan Shetty.