US blocked Afghan FM's visit to Pakistan over UN travel ban waiver: Reports

Islamabad [Pakistan], August 10 : The United States blocked a planned visit by Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to Pakistan by refusing to approve a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) travel ban exemption, according to a report by Dawn.

According to Dawn, Muttaqi was scheduled to visit Pakistan on August 4 as part of a recent push to improve relations between Kabul and Islamabad. The engagement followed Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar's earlier visit to Kabul, which had been facilitated by China.

Citing diplomatic sources, Dawn said that as the Afghan foreign minister is under international sanctions, he is barred from foreign travel without a special waiver from the UN sanctions committee. The committee, set up under UNSC Resolution 1988 (2011), oversees travel bans, asset freezes, and arms embargoes on Taliban-linked figures.

The Dawn report stated that Washington delayed its decision until the last moment before ultimately refusing to grant the waiver, effectively scuttling the trip.

Dawn noted that the US decision is believed to have been influenced by concerns over the Taliban government's growing closeness with China.

When asked at a recent briefing whether the US had blocked Muttaqi's travel, the State Department said, "We do not comment on rumours," Dawn reported.

Pakistan's Foreign Office, however, did not directly confirm the US role. At a weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told reporters there were "certain procedural issues" being worked out and maintained that no official dates had been confirmed for Muttaqi's visit. As quoted by Dawn, he added, "Once these procedural matters are resolved, we look forward to welcoming the Afghan foreign minister to Pakistan."

The Dawn report also highlighted that the US has often clashed with China and Russia in the UNSC sanctions committee, with Beijing and Moscow supporting more lenient travel exemptions for Taliban officials.

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