Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s arrival in New Delhi on October 9, 2025, just two days after attending the Moscow Format on Afghanistan, marked a decisive inflection in South Asia’s geopolitical calculus. His visit culminated in the upgradation of India’s technical mission to a full-fledged embassy in Kabul and the launch of a direct India-Afghanistan air freight corridor, underscoring a clear departure from Pakistan’s long-standing influence over Kabul.

Muttaqi’s stop at Darul Uloom Deoband added a deeply symbolic dimension. There, he was conferred the honorary title “Qasmi” and a Hadith Sanad, granting him authority to teach Hadith, an extraordinary recognition for a foreign cleric. The gesture reflected India’s move from political to theological diplomacy, reclaiming the mo

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