Afghanistan’s Taliban Foreign Minister Makes Historic Visit to Deoband Seminary

Afghanistan's Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi made a poignant pilgrimage to the revered Darul Uloom Deoband Islamic seminary in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Saturday, October 11, 2025. The first senior Taliban official to set foot in India since the group's 2021 takeover, Muttaqi's visit—his second stop after arriving in New Delhi on Thursday—radiates optimism for mending ties, even as India withholds formal recognition of the Kabul regime. Welcomed with floral showers and fervent handshakes by seminary vice-chancellor Abul Qasim Nomani and Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani, the minister was mobbed by hundreds of students and locals, a scene of warmth that underscored Deoband's enduring sway across South Asian Islam.

"Thank you for this grand welcome and the affection—it's a sign of stronger India-Afghanistan bonds ahead," Muttaqi told reporters, his voice brimming with gratitude. "We'll dispatch new diplomats soon, and I hope Indians flock to Kabul. From the hospitality in Delhi to here, frequent exchanges are on the horizon." His six-day trip, shrouded in tight security with Afghan embassy officials scouting the site a day prior, arrives amid shared frustrations with Pakistan over cross-border terror and regional meddling. Muttaqi reiterated Kabul's pledge: Afghan soil won't harbor threats against neighbors, a nod to India's security red lines.

The Deoband detour, a symbolic bow to the seminary's historical role in shaping Afghan Taliban ideology—rooted in the 19th-century Deobandi revival—adds layers to this diplomatic thaw. Muttaqi, speaking to the throng, evoked mutual heritage: "These roots bind us; let's nurture them into fruitful partnerships." Earlier in Delhi, he floated joint ventures to shield Iran's Chabahar port from looming U.S. sanctions under the incoming Trump administration, a strategic port vital for landlocked Afghanistan's trade lifeline and India's Central Asia gateway.

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India's cautious "step-by-step" engagement—resuming diplomat postings while dodging full embrace—mirrors a pragmatic pivot. New Delhi has funneled humanitarian aid and eased visa norms, but human rights lapses, especially women's rights, remain sticking points. Muttaqi's charm offensive, from temple visits in the works to economic pitches, aims to chip away at skepticism. As crowds jostled for selfies (gently reined in by security), the air buzzed with possibility: Could Deoband's ancient halls herald a new chapter, bridging ideological chasms with pragmatic handshakes?

With Pakistan's shadow lengthening—blamed for fueling militancy on both flanks—this visit spotlights a rare alignment. Analysts whisper of trilateral trade talks, counter-terror intel swaps, and even cultural exchanges to knit frayed threads. For Muttaqi, it's more than protocol: It's a bid to recast the Taliban as regional players, not pariahs. As he departed amid chants, one student's query lingered—"Will peace follow?" Muttaqi's smile said it all: Hope floats, but ties take time. In Deoband's shadow, India-Afghanistan's dance of diplomacy just took its first, fervent step.

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