Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s press conference at the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi on Friday was marred by controversy after women journalists were barred from attending the event.
The absence of female reporters from the Taliban minister’s press conference triggered outrage, with opposition leaders and women journalists condemning it as an act of gender discrimination.
Succumbing to public pressure in India, the Taliban foreign minister later softened his stance, and invitations were sent to women journalists for his second press conference, held on Sunday.
When questioned about the exclusion of women during the first interaction, Muttaqi denied that female journalists had been deliberately prevented from attending the event. He claimed their absence was “more of a technical issue” rather than a deliberate act.
Meanwhile, several photos shared on social media from the Afghan Embassy showed women journalists participating in Sunday’s press conference.
The heavy criticism from journalists and the Opposition prompted the Indian government to issue a statement on the controversy. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified that it had no role in organising the event. “MEA had no involvement in the press interaction held yesterday by the Afghan Foreign Minister in Delhi,” the ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
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