Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – The United States has reportedly blocked a planned visit by Afghanistan’s interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to Pakistan, citing a UN Security Council travel ban on senior Taliban figures, Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported. Muttaqi was due in Islamabad on August 4, following Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s April trip to Kabul that had signaled a thaw in relations, a rapprochement largely brokered by China.
Diplomatic sources told Dawn that Washington withheld approval for a travel-ban waiver until the last moment before ultimately rejecting it, effectively scuttling the trip. Under UN Security Council Resolution 1988 (2011), Taliban-linked officials remain subject to sanctions including travel bans, asset freezes, and arms embargoes, with exemptions requiring consensus in the sanctions committee. The US, a key player on the council, has frequently clashed with China and Russia—both of whom push for greater leniency—over such exemptions, amid concerns in Washington about deepening Taliban-China ties.
Asked about the matter, a US State Department spokesperson declined to comment on “rumours.” Pakistan’s Foreign Office described the issue as “procedural,” stressing that no official dates had been set for the visit and that discussions with Kabul were ongoing to resolve the matter. “Once these procedural matters are resolved, we look forward to welcoming the Afghan foreign minister to Pakistan,” spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said.
