'Unacceptable': Outrage After Women Journalists Barred From Afghanistan Foreign Minister's Press Conference

Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who arrived in India on a two-day official visit, addressed a press conference in New Delhi on Friday, the second day of his visit.

During the press conference, Muttaqi expressed his appreciation for the invitation and the warm hospitality extended by the Indian Foreign Minister and the Indian government.

However, his press conference has sparked controversy in India after women journalists were barred from attending the event.

Several Indian journalists have voiced their protest against the denial of entry to women journalists. Some politicians also joined in to criticise the government for letting them conduct a presser that bans women journalists.

Senior journalist Geeta Mohan, taking to X, wrote, “Women journalists were not invited to the press conference of Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. Unacceptable.”

Rajan Pandit, senior journalist at The Times of India, also called out gender discrimination at the event, posting, “No women journalists were allowed at the press conference by Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi today in New Delhi,” along with the hashtag #GenderDiscrimination.

The Taliban, which is infamous for suppressing women’s rights in Afghanistan, has imposed severe restrictions on women, barring them from education, employment, and other public spaces.