Taliban Foreign Minister Granted UN Travel Exemption as Regional Tensions and Crises Deepen
Diplomatic twists, security concerns and humanitarian crisis continue to unfold in the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, hindering international efforts for aiding the long-troubled community.
The United Nations Security Council has granted a travel ban exemption to Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, allowing him to visit India next week, even as Afghanistan faces mounting humanitarian, security, and diplomatic challenges across the region.
According to Khaama Press, the exemption—approved under UN Security Council Resolution 1988 (2011)—permits Muttaqi to travel between October 9 and 16 to attend meetings in New Delhi following a planned stop in Moscow. The decision enables limited diplomatic mobility for sanctioned Taliban officials, whose travel is generally restricted under UN sanctions.
If confirmed, the trip would mark the first official visit by a Taliban minister to India since the group’s return to power in 2021. Analysts see the move as part of the Taliban’s efforts to gain regional legitimacy and engage in political dialogue, though New Delhi has not publicly confirmed the visit.
The development comes amid rising security and humanitarian strains linked to Afghanistan’s isolation. In Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, unidentified gunmen shot dead an Afghan cleric identified as Adam Khan, an imam from Afghanistan’s Paktia province, near the Raza Khan Maryamzai Mosque in Peshawar. Police have launched an investigation, but no group has claimed responsibility. The killing has fueled concerns among Afghan refugees facing harassment and deportation pressures from Pakistani authorities.
Meanwhile, inside Afghanistan, the healthcare system is on the brink of collapse due to sharp cuts in foreign funding, according to a report by the International Crisis Group (ICG) cited by Amu TV. The report says 422 health facilities have suspended operations this year, depriving more than 3 million Afghans—including 440,000 women—of essential medical services.
Foreign donors previously financed 96 percent of public health spending and nearly half of education costs, but funding shortfalls since 2022 have left critical programs under severe strain. The ICG warned that continued aid withdrawal could deepen suffering, particularly for women and rural populations.
At the same time, cross-border clashes between Taliban and Pakistani forces have intensified along the Kunar province frontier, especially in Dangam district, where recent exchanges reportedly killed a Taliban fighter identified as Zarin Khan from Laghman province. UN data indicate at least 14 border clashes have occurred so far in 2025, underscoring persistent tension between Kabul and Islamabad.
