Deoband (Saharanpur), Oct. 11 -- When Afghanistan's foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi arrived at Darul Uloom Deoband on Saturday, it marked the revival of a historical bond stretching back more than a century. The visit carried deep symbolic and spiritual meaning, as the last Afghan dignitary to visit the seminary was King Zahir Shah nearly 67 years ago.

Muttaqi's remarks ahead of the visit reflected the emotional and spiritual dimension of the trip: "Deoband is a significant religious place for us. This place and its people have a long history with Afghanistan. The way our students come here to study engineering and science, they also come here for religious studies."

Founded in the late 19th century by Sayyid Muhammad Abid, Fazlur Ra...