Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, has clarified the exclusion of women journalists from a Delhi press conference, terming it a ‘technical issue’ arising from short notice and a pre-set attendee list. He asserted that denying rights to anyone, male or female, is not the intention of the Afghan government.
After facing significant criticism from Indian media groups like the Editors Guild and the Indian Women’s Press Corps, Muttaqi’s delegation organized a second, more inclusive press conference. This follow-up event was open to all members of the press, including female journalists, addressing the earlier ‘highly discriminatory’ incident.
Muttaqi, who arrived in New Delhi for a significant visit to discuss bilateral trade, humanitarian assistance, and security with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, also commented on education. He reported that 2.8 million girls are among the 10 million students currently enrolled in Afghanistan’s educational system. He explained that current restrictions on some educational fronts are temporary and not religiously mandated. The Indian government has explicitly stated its lack of involvement in the organization of the initial press interaction. The Taliban’s policies regarding women’s rights remain a major point of international concern.