New Delhi: The Centre on Saturday denied any involvement in the press conference held by Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi, which drew sharp criticism after women journalists were excluded from the event.
According to a clarification by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), invitations for the press conference were sent directly by Afghanistan’s Consul General in Mumbai to selected Delhi-based journalists. Quoting the MEA, NDTV reported that the Afghan Embassy premises, where the event was held, are outside the jurisdiction of the Indian government.
The press conference, held on Friday at the Afghan Embassy, saw no participation from women journalists. Reports suggested that some female reporters who tried to attend were turned away, despite complying with the prescribed dress code.
The incident triggered widespread outrage among journalists and Opposition leaders. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra condemned the exclusion, calling it an insult to some of India’s most accomplished women and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify his stance, saying women are the “backbone and pride” of the nation.
Muttaqi arrived in New Delhi on Thursday and met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to discuss a range of issues, including India’s support for Afghanistan’s development, bilateral trade, territorial integrity, capacity-building, and people-to-people ties.
However, the press conference, held later at 3.30 p.m., was limited to a small group of about 15 to 16 journalists, none of whom were women. Reporters told IANS that they were informed about the event only on Friday morning and that invitations were sent personally by Taliban official Ikramuddin Kamil, who heads Afghanistan’s consulate in Mumbai.
The restricted media access and selective invitations have drawn strong criticism from press circles, who argue that excluding women and limiting participation in such a key diplomatic event undermines transparency and prevents broader media scrutiny of India’s cautious engagement with the Taliban.
The Afghan Embassy in Delhi remains under the charge of Mohammad Ibrahim Khil, a diplomat from the previous Ashraf Ghani administration, while the Taliban controls the consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad.
The Taliban government in Afghanistan has faced global condemnation for its systematic restrictions on women. It has barred them from most jobs and educational institutions, and recently banned books authored by women in universities. It also removed 18 academic courses, including Gender and Development, Women’s Sociology, Human Rights, Afghan Constitutional Law, and Globalization and Development.