Outcry After Women Journalists Excluded from Taliban FM’s Delhi Press Conference

Afghanistan’s Taliban government foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, currently on a visit to India, held a press conference at the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi on October 10. The event quickly became controversial when it emerged that no women journalists were allowed to attend, despite requests from the Indian side to include them. Afghan officials accompanying Muttaqi reportedly rejected those requests, insisting on a male-only press interaction.

The decision has triggered widespread criticism in India’s political circles. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra condemned the move, calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify why the government allowed such exclusion during an official visit. Other opposition leaders, including P. Chidambaram and Mahua Moitra, also denounced the incident, with some suggesting that male journalists should have boycotted the event in solidarity with their female colleagues.

During the press conference, Muttaqi was questioned about women’s rights in Afghanistan. He responded by saying that “every country has its own culture, laws, and policies, and these should be respected.” He rejected claims that Afghans lack rights, arguing that if people were unhappy under Taliban rule, they would not return from abroad. He further claimed that since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, Afghanistan’s overall situation has improved, citing a decline in daily conflict-related deaths compared to the pre-2021 period.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) later clarified that it had “no role” in organizing the press interaction, distancing itself from the controversy. Officials stressed that the event was arranged solely by the Afghan Embassy.

The exclusion of women journalists has not only stirred debate in India but also drawn international criticism, with many describing it as a violation of democratic values and press freedom. Media professionals and rights advocates have labeled the move as a stark reminder of the Taliban’s restrictive policies on women, now exported onto foreign soil.

The controversy underscores the tensions between India’s diplomatic engagement with the Taliban and its commitment to democratic principles, particularly gender equality and freedom of the press.