Overview

• Afghan officials said Amir Khan Muttaqi departed for New Delhi on Wednesday for a week‑long trip, the first visit to India by a Taliban leader since 2021.
• His travel follows a temporary U.N. Security Council sanctions waiver that lifted his travel ban for diplomatic engagements.
• He is due to meet External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, with Indian reports indicating a possible meeting with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, to discuss counterterrorism, trade, aid and consular issues.
• New Delhi has not recognised the Taliban government and maintains only a small technical mission in Kabul to handle humanitarian, trade and medical support.
• The visit comes after regional talks in Moscow where neighbours, including India, issued a joint statement opposing foreign military infrastructure in the region, as the Taliban seek wider ties beyond Pakistan and China with Russia so far the only recogniser.