Afghanistan FM's Pakistan visit blocked: US allegedly rejects travel ban exemption; growing Taliban - China ties under scanner

The United States blocked Afghanistan’s foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit to Pakistan, Dawn reported. Muttaqi was scheduled to visit Pakistan on August 4 as part of recent efforts to improve ties between Kabul and Islamabad.

The initiative followed Pakistani deputy PM and foreign minister Ishaq Dar’s earlier visit to Kabul, which had been facilitated by China.According to diplomatic sources cited by Dawn, Muttaqi, who is under international sanctions, is barred from foreign travel without a special waiver from the UN sanctions committee.The report stated that the US refused to approve a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) travel ban exemption for Muttaqi by delaying its decision until the last moment.

The US decision was believed to have been influenced by concerns over the Taliban government’s growing closeness with China.However, Pakistan’s foreign office did not directly confirm the US role. At the weekly media briefing, foreign office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said there were “certain procedural issues” being worked out and that no official dates had been confirmed for Muttaqi’s visit. “Once these procedural matters are resolved, we look forward to welcoming the Afghan foreign minister to Pakistan,” he was quoted as saying.The US State Department said, “We do not comment on rumours”, when asked at a recent briefing whether the US had blocked Muttaqi’s travel, Dawn reported.