NEW DELHI (Oct 13) — A delegation of Afghan Hindus and Sikhs met Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi at the Afghan embassy in New Delhi on Monday to discuss trade challenges and community concerns, as part of his week-long visit to India.
The delegation, supported by the Afghan Minority Council and the Indian World Forum, honoured Muttaqi with a traditional Afghan turban and shawl.
Afghan businessman Noorula, who was part of the delegation, told IANS that the group raised issues related to trade, road access, and visa restrictions. “We came here to discuss our business and the problems we face, including road access, visas, and other issues. We also came to talk about the Wagah and Attari borders, which are shut,” he said.
He added that traders, especially those in the fruit and dry fruit business, have been severely affected by border closures and restrictions. “People of Afghanistan have been facing problems due to Pakistan for the past 45–50 years. We hope this issue is resolved,” Noorula noted.
Muttaqi’s India Visit Aims to Strengthen Ties
Muttaqi is in India on a seven-day official visit to strengthen Afghanistan’s diplomatic and cultural engagement with New Delhi — the first such visit by a senior Taliban official since the regime’s takeover in 2021.
On Friday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Muttaqi in New Delhi for discussions on bilateral trade, Afghanistan’s development, people-to-people ties, and regional stability. Jaishankar announced that India would gift five ambulances to Afghanistan and reaffirmed India’s commitment to the country’s territorial integrity and independence.
On Saturday, Muttaqi visited the Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh — the first visit by a senior Taliban leader to the Islamic seminary since the regime change. He held talks with religious scholars at the institution, which has deep ideological significance for the Taliban.
On Sunday, he interacted with Indian foreign policy experts and academics at the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) in New Delhi. According to VIF, the discussions highlighted “the deep economic, historical, cultural, and civilisational ties between the two countries.” Muttaqi’s mention of Rabindranath Tagore’s Kabuliwala resonated deeply with the audience, symbolising the cultural connection between India and Afghanistan.