VIDEO: Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi Visits Darul Uloom Deoband Amid Tight Security

Saharanpur: Afghanistan’s Taliban government’s Foreign Minister, Maulana Amir Khan Muttaqi, arrived at Darul Uloom Deoband, one of India’s most prestigious Islamic seminaries, on Saturday. The institution’s administration had released a list of 15 prominent clerics to receive him, marking the importance of his visit.

Afghan minister reaches Deoband under elaborate security arrangements

Muttaqi’s convoy left Delhi around 8:30 a.m. and reached Deoband by noon. Security agencies had made elaborate arrangements across the area in anticipation of his arrival. The Afghan minister was welcomed inside the grand circular library of Darul Uloom Deoband.

First visit to India since Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021

This is Muttaqi’s first visit to India since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021. He is on a six-day official visit and had already met several Indian officials in New Delhi on Friday.

Reception organised under supervision of rector Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani

His reception at Deoband was organized under the supervision of the institution’s rector, Maulana Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani. The seminary’s official list includes 15 senior clerics who took part in the welcome ceremony.

Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind president Madani calls visit academic, not political

Reacting to the visit, Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani said, “We have an educational and academic relationship with Afghanistan. He has come to visit his alma mater and will later hold discussions with us.”

Darul Uloom staff ensure warm hospitality for visiting dignitary

Darul Uloom’s media in-charge, Ashraf Usmani, confirmed that all arrangements had been made for the minister’s visit. “After his arrival, we will show him around Darul Uloom. He will also meet students, attend a session of religious learning, and address them at 3 p.m. His meal has been arranged within the campus as he is a guest of the country, and we must ensure his comfort,” Usmani said.

Students shower flower petals, take selfies with visiting minister

Muttaqi’s arrival drew a large crowd of students who gathered to welcome him with showers of flower petals. Many were seen taking selfies with the visiting dignitary, reflecting the excitement within the seminary over the high-profile visit.

Deoband’s ideological influence on Taliban highlighted during visit

Darul Uloom Deoband holds deep symbolic and ideological significance for the Taliban. Many of the group’s senior commanders received their education at Darul Uloom Haqqania in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a seminary modeled after Deoband..

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Haqqania founder and ‘Father of the Taliban’ share historic links to Deoband

The founder of Haqqania, Maulana Abdul Haq, had both studied and taught at Deoband before Partition. His son, Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, later earned the title “Father of the Taliban” for the seminary’s pivotal role in shaping the movement’s ideology.