Taliban’s Amir Khan Muttaqi Holds Press Conference with Female Journalists in Delhi Following India’s Pressure
Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting Foreign Minister of the Taliban administration, held a press conference on Sunday, October 12, at the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi with the participation of female journalists. This meeting was arranged following widespread protests in India against the exclusion of women reporters from his previous events.
According to Indian media sources, India’s Ministry of External Affairs, responding to the Taliban’s conduct at the press conference two days earlier, requested Muttaqi to hold a new session including women journalists; a request the Taliban were compelled to accept.
Two days ago, reports emerged showing that officials at the Afghan Embassy in Delhi—affiliated with the Taliban administration—barred female reporters from entering Muttaqi’s press conference. This action sparked strong backlash from Indian politicians, civil society activists, and media outlets.
Members of the Indian parliament denounced the move as an insult to Indian women and the country’s democratic values, urging the Prime Minister to clarify his official stance regarding such behavior.
In response to the controversy, Muttaqi justified the inclusion of female journalists at today’s conference, stating that the previous meeting was “urgent” and that only a “limited number” of invitations were sent. He emphasized that the decision was “technical” and not intended to discriminate.
However, experts and independent media organizations consider these explanations inadequate and view the incident as a continuation of the Taliban administration’s misogynistic policies, which have extended beyond Afghanistan’s borders, resulting in violations of press freedom.
