Taliban Foreign Minister's Historic Visit to Deoband Seminary: Strengthening India-Afghanistan Diplomatic Relations

Amir Khan Muttaqi, Afghanistan's Taliban government Foreign Minister, is scheduled to visit Deoband today as part of his diplomatic mission to India.

In a notable diplomatic engagement, Afghanistan's Taliban-led government Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has embarked on a seven-day visit to India, focusing on bilateral and regional discussions. His itinerary includes a significant visit to the historic Darul Uloom Deoband seminary in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.

Muttaqi plans to arrive at the Islamic seminary by road at approximately 10:30 am, where he will spend nearly five hours. This marks the first official visit by a high-ranking Taliban official to Darul Uloom Deoband since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan.

During his time at the seminary, Muttaqi is expected to engage with prominent Islamic scholars, including Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani, who heads Darul Uloom, and Maulana Arshad Madani, President of the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind. His agenda includes touring the campus and holding discussions with faculty members and leadership.

Darul Uloom Deoband carries profound symbolic and ideological significance for the Taliban movement. Many senior Taliban commanders received their education at Darul Uloom Haqqania in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, an institution that was modeled after the original Deoband seminary.

Historically, Haqqania's founder, Maulana Abdul Haq, studied and taught at Deoband before the Partition. His son, Sami-ul-Haq, later became known as the 'Father of the Taliban' due to his seminary's influential role in shaping the movement's ideology.

On October 12, Muttaqi's itinerary includes a visit to the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra, followed by meetings with Indian business and industry leaders at an event organized by a leading chamber of commerce in New Delhi the subsequent day.

Muttaqi's visit, originally planned for weeks earlier, faced delays due to complications with obtaining a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) travel ban exemption. India's Ministry of External Affairs confirmed last week that the UNSC Committee has now granted the necessary exemption, allowing the visit to proceed as planned.

This diplomatic engagement follows recent backchannel and semi-formal diplomatic interactions between New Delhi and the Taliban leadership. Earlier this year, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with Muttaqi in Kabul to establish diplomatic communications.

Last month, Afghanistan's Deputy Minister of Medicine and Food, Hamdullah Zahid, also made an official visit to India to participate in an international healthcare exhibition, further strengthening emerging ties between the two governments.