UN Security Council Lifts Travel Ban On Taliban Officials For Hajj Pilgrimage

In a recent statement, the Security Council announced the exemption from the travel ban for Sirajuddin Haqqani, Minister of Interior.

Apart from him, the list also included Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs, Abdul Haq Wasiq, Intelligence Chief, and Noor Mohammad Saqib, Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs, has been granted to facilitate their attendance at the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, as reported by Khamma Press.

According to a statement from the council, the approval of the travel ban exemption for these four Taliban officials was granted on Wednesday, June 5th. Meanwhile, the officials of the Interior Minister of Taliban travelling to the United Arab Emirates were reacted to by Matthew Miller, the US State Department spokesperson, who stated that host countries should consider the sanctions, as reported by local media outlets.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Interior Minister, and Abdul Haq Wasiq, the Intelligence Chief, had traveled to the United Arab Emirates a day prior to the approval of the travel exemption and met with senior officials of the country.

Meeting between UAE Leader and Taliban Officials

Notably, this comes just a day after a meeting between officials from the Taliban government, wanted by the United States with a bounty of up to $10 million for his involvement in various attacks, and the leader of the United Arab Emirates was held.

According to the state-run WAM news agency, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler of Abu Dhabi, met with Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban's interior minister, at the Qasr Al Shati palace in the Emirati capital. The agency published an image of the meeting, depicting Sheikh Mohammed shaking hands with Haqqani, who also leads the Haqqani network, known for its involvement in deadly attacks.

The meeting highlighted a growing international divide on how to handle the Taliban, who seized control of Afghanistan in 2021, implementing restrictions on women's rights and education. While the West refuses to recognize the Taliban as Kabul's government, other nations, including those in the Middle East, have engaged with them, as reported by AP.

The Taliban described the meeting as centred on "mutual interests," with their intelligence chief, Abdul Haq Wasiq, also participating. The U.S. State Department declined to discuss specific details of the visit, emphasizing that UN members must seek permission to allow sanctioned individuals to travel to their countries.