Overview

• New Delhi invited Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and formally asked the UN Security Council sanctions committee for a temporary travel exemption.
• Sources in Kabul said the planned trip was called off because the committee did not grant the waiver needed under Resolution 1988.
• A UN source had indicated the United States was likely to object, echoing reported opposition that also derailed a recent Pakistan request for Muttaqi’s travel.
• The visit would have been the first by a senior Taliban minister to India since 2021 and was seen as a step toward limited, pragmatic engagement.
• India has not recognized the Taliban government but maintains a technical embassy presence in Kabul and focuses on humanitarian and project-based cooperation.