‘Our future is bright’: Taliban FM Muttaqi on sidelines of Deoband visit

SAHARANPUR (Uttar Pradesh): Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Saturday visited Darul Uloom Deoband, where he met Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind President Maulana Arshad Madani. Muttaqi expressed his gratitude for being welcomed to Doband, and hoped that the relations between India and Taliban continue to improve.

He said, “I am thankful to all of you for the warm welcome given to me by everyone in Deoband and the love showered upon me. I will pray to god that India-Afghanistan relations improve further. After the meeting I had in Delhi, I can say that our future is bright. I hope that our visits between Delhi and Kabul increase”.

#WATCH | Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh | Afghan FM Amir Khan Muttaqi says, “The journey has been very good so far. Not just the people of Darul Uloom, but all people of the area have come here. I am grateful to them for the warm welcome they extended to me… I am thankful to the… pic.twitter.com/TQ7dUwRqPU

— ANI (@ANI) October 11, 2025

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind President Maulana Arshad Madani told reporters that the two did not have any political discussions, but they reminisced about Afghanistan’s role in India’s independence.

“I told him that our ties with you are not just academic. You contributed to the independence of India. Our forefathers chose the land for Afghanistan to fight for India’s independence. For your independence, you defeated powers like America and Russia. You learnt from us how to do that when we defeated Britain. I told him (Afghan FM Amir Khan Muttaqi) that this meeting shows how the Muslims of India and the Darul Uloom Deoband have deep ties with you. There should be harmony within the nations of the world, irrespective of their religion… We had no political discussion… The relations between the two nations will improve. India has had complaints that Afghanistan sent terrorists to India. Now, after this meeting, it is confirmed that no terrorists will come to India from Afghanistan”, Madani said.

#WATCH | Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh: On Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit to Darul Uloom Deoband in Saharanpur today, President of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, Maulana Arshad Madani, says, “…We have a scholarly and educational connection with Afghanistan.
S: ANI pic.twitter.com/SPzfB87vFp

— M. NAYAB (@NAYAB_44) October 11, 2025

Earlier in the day, Muttaqi highlighted the bright future of India-Afghanistan relations, indicating a positive trajectory in bilateral ties. Muttaqi thanked the Ulema and people of the area for their warm welcome, appreciating the large turnout.

“The journey has been very good so far. Not just the people of Darul Uloom, but all the people of the area have come here. I am grateful to them for the warm welcome they extended to me… I am thankful to the Ulema of Deoband and the people of the area for this warm welcome… The future of India-Afghanistan relations seems very bright”, Muttaqi told ANI. (ANI)