Afghan minister Muttaqi's visit to Agra cancelled

Agra, Oct 12: The visit of Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to Agra on Sunday has been cancelled, official sources said.

However, officials in Agra did not mention any reason for the cancellation.

The Afghan foreign minister was to travel to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.

Muttaqi was scheduled to spend about an hour and a half at the monument before returning to Delhi.

The cancellation was also confirmed by the protocol department of the district administration.

Muttaqi, who landed in New Delhi on Thursday on a six-day trip, is the first senior Taliban minister to visit India after the group seized power four years ago. India has not yet recognised the Taliban set up.

The Afghan foreign minister on Saturday visited Darul Uloom Deoband in Saharanpur, one of the most influential Islamic seminaries in South Asia.

The Afghan foreign minister's visit to India comes at a time when both India and Afghanistan are having frosty relations with Pakistan over a range of issues, including cross-border terrorism.