KABUL — The United Nations Security Council has granted a travel exemption to Amir Khan Mottaqi, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, allowing him to visit New Delhi from October 9 to 16.
In a statement released on September 30, the Security Council’s 1988 Sanctions Committee confirmed it had approved the exemption for Mottaqi to visit India.
Mottaqi remains under UN sanctions, along with other senior Taliban leaders, and requires explicit permission for international travel.
Neither the Taliban’s foreign ministry nor Indian officials have yet commented on the purpose of the visit. However, analysts say the trip could signal a cautious opening between New Delhi and Kabul, as India has so far limited its engagement with the Taliban to humanitarian aid and technical contacts, while withholding formal recognition of their regime.
This exemption follows recent approvals granted for other senior Taliban figures. On August 1, the Council allowed Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister, to travel to Doha for medical treatment, while on July 11, Khairullah Khairkhwah, the acting information minister, was permitted to visit Moscow, also for medical reasons.
By contrast, in early August, the Committee declined to grant Mottaqi travel clearance to Pakistan, forcing the cancellation of a planned trip to Islamabad.
Since their return to power in August 2021, Taliban leaders have remained under a UN sanctions regime first imposed in 1999 and updated in 2011. The sanctions include asset freezes, arms embargoes, and travel bans. Exemptions are considered on a case-by-case basis and typically require unanimous approval by the Council’s sanctions committee.
India has previously hosted backchannel talks with Taliban representatives but has refrained from the high-profile visits seen in Qatar, Russia, or China.
