The United States has blocked a planned visit by Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to Pakistan, citing the group’s continued denial of holding Mahmood Habibi, an Afghan-born American citizen, according to a U.S. source speaking to Afghan media.
Muttaqi was expected to lead a delegation to Islamabad on a three-day official visit starting Monday, but the trip was abruptly called off. While sources in Kabul initially cited “technical issues” for the delay, it has since emerged that the UN Security Council’s 1988 Sanctions Committee did not approve the necessary travel exemption for Muttaqi, a requirement for sanctioned Taliban officials to travel abroad.
According to a senior U.S. official, the decision to block Muttaqi’s movement was driven by credible witness accounts confirming Habibi’s detention by the Taliban’s intelligence wing in Kabul. The source emphasized that U.S. pressure on the group is just beginning, warning that denying the obvious will only further isolate the Taliban.
“For the Taliban, the counterpart now is Trump, not Biden, and Trump doesn’t play soft when it comes to bringing Americans home,” the official reportedly said.
“If the Taliban want to move forward diplomatically, they must come clean about Habibi.”
Habibi, former head of Afghanistan’s Civil Aviation Authority, was arrested by Taliban intelligence in August 2022 along with several of his colleagues. Most have since been released, except for Habibi and one other individual, whose whereabouts remain unknown. The Taliban has consistently denied holding him and has offered no information regarding his condition or location.
Earlier this year, the U.S. State Department announced a $5 million reward for credible information leading to Habibi’s return, a move that underscored Washington’s growing frustration with the Taliban’s lack of transparency.
Meanwhile, it appears that Pakistan, the intended host of the now-postponed visit, either did not file a formal request for Muttaqi’s travel exemption or failed to secure it in time. Notably, Pakistan currently chairs the UN’s 1988 Sanctions Committee for 2025.
Despite previous approvals for international travel, including trips to Turkey, China, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman earlier this year, Muttaqi’s latest request failed amid rising diplomatic tension over Habibi’s case.
Other senior Taliban officials have continued to receive exemptions for travel. On August 1, Deputy PM Abdul Salam Hanafi was cleared to visit Qatar for medical treatment, while others have recently traveled to Russia and China with UN approval.
The blocking of Muttaqi’s visit marks a sharp escalation in U.S. pressure on the Taliban and could signal tougher stances in future engagements unless progress is made on the Habibi issue.
