Afghan Foreign Minister Muttaqi's Agra Visit Cancelled

Agra: The visit of Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to Agra on Sunday has been cancelled, Syed Areeb Ahmed, ACP Taj Security, said. However, officials in Agra did not mention any reason, which led to the cancellation. The Afghan foreign minister was to travel to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.

According to Agra District Magistrate Arvind Mallappa Bangari, Muttaqi was scheduled to spend approximately an hour touring the historical monument. Security was tightened in anticipation of Muttaqi's visit. A delegation from the Muslim community, led by Agra's city Mufti Majeed Rumi, had sought to meet the Afghan Foreign Minister. However, the district administration did not grant permission.

Muttaqi had visited the historic Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district on Saturday during his ongoing visit to India. Addressing media personnel in Saharanpur, Muttaqi expressed deep gratitude for the warmth and affection received from Indian Muslims and religious scholars, particularly during his visit to Deoband.

: Afghanistan's Foreign Affairs Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi meets Maulana Arshad Madani at Darul Uloom Deoband, in Saharanpur district, Uttar Pradesh, Saturday (PTI)

Muttaqi is on a week-long visit to India, from October 9 to 16. This is the first high-level delegation from Kabul to India since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021. His visit began with a controversy as Indian women journalists were reportedly barred from attending the Afghan FM press conference at the Afghan Embassy on Friday.
The incident drew heavy backlash from the Opposition, which questioned the BJP's stance on women's rights.

On his visit to Deoband, the Afghan foreign minister said, “The love that the people and Maulanas here have shown to me during my visit to Deoband has touched my heart. I am grateful to everyone. May Allah further strengthen the relations between India and Afghanistan. After the discussions we had in Delhi yesterday, it feels like our bond will grow even stronger. Our visits will now be frequent, and we will also send our people to Delhi,” hinting at the possibility of deploying Afghan diplomats to the Afghan Embassy in Delhi.

People gather during a visit of Afghanistan's Foreign Affairs Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to Darul Uloom Deoband (PTI)

Muttaqi landed in New Delhi on October 9 and has since been engaging in a series of meetings aimed at improving bilateral ties. On Friday, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar met his Afghanistan counterpart in New Delhi as both held discussions on India's support for Afghanistan's development, bilateral trade, territorial integrity and independence, people-to-people ties, and capacity-building, besides several other issues.

In his opening remarks during his meeting with Muttaqi, EAM Jaishankar had expressed New Delhi's commitment to Afghanistan's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence and announced India's upgradation of the Technical Mission in Kabul to the status of an Embassy. He recalled the talks held with the Afghan Foreign Minister after the April 22 Pahalgam attack and earthquake in Kunar and Nangarhar. EAM Jaishankar noted that Muttaqi's visit to India marks an "important step" in advancing bilateral ties. He also announced the handing over of five ambulances to Afghanistan.

Emphasising that Kabul has always valued good relations with India, Muttaqi also assured that Afghanistan won't allow its territory to be used against other countries. Calling India "the first responder", the Afghan Foreign Minister expressed gratitude to India for providing humanitarian assistance during the earthquake in Afghanistan.

Muttaqi's visit, initially scheduled weeks earlier, was delayed due to the lack of a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) travel ban exemption. However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs confirmed last week that the UNSC Committee has now granted the exemption, allowing the visit to proceed.

Read more:

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2. No Restrictions On Presence Of Women Journalists During Deoband Event: Seminary