KABUL— Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, traveled to Oman on Sunday, according to the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as part of a broader diplomatic effort that has seen at least nine senior Taliban officials travel abroad in recent weeks.
“He is scheduled to meet with Omani officials to discuss political and economic relations,” Taliban foreign minister spokesman Zia Ahmad Takal said.
Muttaqi was sanctioned by the UN in 2001 for his role as the Taliban’s education minister, overseeing policies that barred girls from attending school.
According to an analysis by Amu TV, four of these officials are currently on the United Nations Security Council’s sanctions list.
In recent weeks, several senior Taliban officials have undertaken international trips.
Abdul Ghani Baradar, Hedayatullah Badri, Nooruddin Azizi, Ataullah Omari, Hamidullah Akhundzada, and Noor Ahmad Agha traveled to Uzbekistan.
Abdul Haq Akhund Hemkar, deputy interior minister for counter-narcotics, led a delegation to Iran.
Noor Ahmad Agha also made a separate visit to Russia.
Among them, Baradar, Badri, and Agha remain under UN Security Council sanctions.
Some political analysts suggest that Oman’s close ties with the United States could mean Muttaqi’s visit is aimed at opening indirect channels for dialogue with the Trump administration.
“Oman has maintained strong ties with the United States, and this visit may be an attempt by the Taliban to open avenues for negotiations with Donald Trump,” said Sardar Mohammad Rahimi, a political analyst.
The Taliban’s growing diplomatic efforts have sparked criticism from Afghan citizens, particularly women, who argue that international engagement should not overlook the Taliban’s suppression of women’s rights.
“The Taliban have turned Afghanistan into a prison for women, stripping us of all rights. The international community must pressure them and not ignore their human rights violations,” said Eda, a Kabul resident.
Another Kabul resident, Sama, questioned why the Taliban refuse to adopt the policies of the Muslim countries they frequently visit, where women enjoy full rights.
“Taliban officials travel abroad regularly. At the very least, they should observe how women in Islamic countries are treated. Yet in Afghanistan, women are denied even their most basic rights,” she said.
The Taliban’s media policies have also come under scrutiny.
Two days ago, Taliban-run National Television broadcast a speech by Abdul Hakim Shara’i, the Taliban’s acting minister of justice, from Saudi Arabia. Critics pointed to the contradiction in the Taliban’s stance on media and public visibility.
“Inside Afghanistan, he opposes broadcasting images of living beings and has banned live visuals from the ministry’s social media pages under the new ‘Commanding Good and Forbidding Evil’ law. Yet, he has no issue appearing in video broadcasts abroad,” said one critic.
Despite international sanctions on key figures, the Taliban continue their diplomatic push to gain legitimacy and global recognition. However, their human rights record—particularly restrictions on women—remains a major obstacle to their acceptance on the world stage.
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