Afghanistan鈥檚 acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi faced backlash on Friday after female journalists were reportedly barred from attending his press conference in New Delhi, drawing widespread criticism from media and rights groups.
The move has been condemned by journalists as a reflection of the Taliban鈥檚 misogyny, according to a report of the India Today.
It reported that no women journalists were invited to the press conference of Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Delhi on Friday, triggering sharp criticism over the Taliban鈥檚 continuing gender bias, this time on Indian soil.
The press interaction followed meetings between Muttaqi and Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar, where the two leaders discussed bilateral trade, humanitarian assistance, and security cooperation. However, photographs show the Taliban鈥檚 male leaders addressing a men-only presser, said the report.
India Today journalist Geeta Mohan, taking to X, wrote, 鈥榃omen journalists were not invited to the press conference of Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. Unacceptable.鈥�
One journalist wrote, 鈥業n my opinion, the male journalists should have walked out of the press conference as a mark of protest.鈥�
Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed wrote, 鈥榃ho are they to dictate terms to our nation, that too, on our own soil, and impose their discriminatory agenda against women?鈥�
鈥楻ight under the Indian government鈥檚 nose, in the heart of the capital city, the Afghan Foreign Minister Muttaqi holds a press conference, intentionally excluding any female journalists. How can this be allowed? Who approved such an outrageous disregard for representation?鈥� wrote journalist Nayanima Basu in a post on X.
The Taliban, the current ruling power in Afghanistan, is known for its misogynistic policies towards Afghan women. Infamous for suppressing women鈥檚 rights in Afghanistan, it has imposed severe restrictions on women, barring them from education, employment, and other public spaces.
鈥榃hat is even more ridiculous is that the Taliban FM is 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鈥檛 pragmatism, this is supplication,鈥� wrote journalist Suhasini Haidar.
Muttaqi鈥檚 India visit marks the first by a Taliban minister since the group overthrew Afghanistan鈥檚 elected government and seized power in 2021.
Since then, Afghanistan has witnessed widespread repression of women and is now accused of facing the world鈥檚 most severe women鈥檚 rights crisis.
