Women journalists allege exclusion from Afghan minister’s press conference in Delhi

New Delhi: Several Indian journalists have alleged that women reporters were barred from attending a press conference held by Afghanistan’s Taliban-appointed Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi on Friday, calling the move “unacceptable”.

Muttaqi, who arrived in India earlier in the day, met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, the highest level of bilateral contact between India and the Taliban since 2021. Later, he addressed a press conference at the Afghanistan embassy in Delhi to discuss his visit.

Images shared by Hafiz Zia Ahmad, director of public communication for Afghanistan’s foreign ministry, showed only male journalists present at the event, sparking criticism from several senior Indian reporters.

Independent journalist Smita Sharma said on social media that women journalists were not invited to the press conference, adding that Jaishankar also did not mention “the horrible plight of Afghan girls and women under Taliban regime.” She remarked, “Muttaqi getting the red carpet welcome in a country where we take pride in women achievers and leaders because of our security concerns. World politics today.”

Suhasini Haidar, diplomatic affairs editor at The Hindu, said the Taliban delegation had been allowed to “bring their abhorrent and illegal discrimination against women to India, as the government hosts the Taliban delegation with full official protocol”. “This isn’t pragmatism, this is supplication,” she wrote.

Poulomi Saha, senior editor at India Today, questioned why the Taliban were permitted to hold a press conference on Indian soil, “where they discriminate against our women journalists and don’t allow them in?!” Geeta Mohan, executive editor at India Today, also confirmed that women journalists were excluded, calling it “unacceptable”.

The Taliban regime has faced widespread condemnation for its human rights record, particularly its treatment of women and minorities. Since seizing power in August 2021, it has banned girls from attending school beyond class six, restricted women’s employment, and barred their entry into most public spaces.

In December 2024, the Taliban government ordered the shutdown of national and international NGOs employing women, following its earlier directive in 2022 that women should be suspended from work for allegedly wearing the hijab “improperly.”

Meanwhile, during Muttaqi’s meeting with Jaishankar, the Indian foreign minister announced that India will reopen its embassy in Kabul, describing the visit as “an important step” in strengthening bilateral relations.

Although India has not formally recognized the Taliban government, New Delhi has permitted the group to appoint a consul general in Mumbai.

India had shut down its embassy in Kabul in August 2021 after the Taliban takeover and the withdrawal of US forces. However, in June 2022, it deployed a technical team to oversee humanitarian aid and maintain engagement with the Afghan people. That mission will now be upgraded to a full-fledged embassy.