Kabul: Taliban’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi is all set to visit New Delhi on October 9 and preparations are underway in the capital to welcome the arrival of one of the oldest and strongest Taliban leaders.
During his visit, FM Muttaqi will talk to his counterparts on expanding trade, easing visa allowance, security architecture, the instability in South Asia and will try to gain India’s favour, as New Delhi as of now has not yet recognised the Taliban regime.
Who is Amir Khan Muttaqi?
Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, son of Haji Nadir Khan, was born on March 7, 1970, in Zarghun village, Nad Ali district, Helmand province. Hailing originally from Paktia, his family later relocated to Helmand.
Following the Soviet invasion in the late 1970s, he emigrated to neighbouring Pakistan at the age of nine, where he studied religious and traditional sciences in various schools for Afghan refugees.
In his early years, he actively participated in jihad against the communist regime in Helmand.
He has played a significant role in political, cultural, and administrative spheres during both the initial rule of the Islamic Emirate (1996-2001) and its current rule since 2021.
Apart from holding official administrative positions and being a member of the Afghan cabinet, he has served on numerous postings, including as a leading negotiator for the Islamic Emirate.
Notably, he also led a delegation appointed by the late Mullah Muhammad Omar (the founder of the Taliban and the supreme Leader from 1996 to 2001) to negotiate with the former Northern Alliance.
He has also conducted talks in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, facilitated by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
He has also served as the Director General of the radio station in Kandahar in 1994, Director General of Information and Culture in Kandahar in 1995 and others.
Similarly, following the takeover of the Taliban in 1996, he became the acting Minister of Information and Culture and the official spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate.
He has also served in the Taliban’s Political Office as well as the Negotiation Team in Doha, Qatar, between 2016-2021.
(IANS)
