Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi answered questions from women journalists at a press conference at the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi on Sunday. This press event came just days after his first media event, held on Friday, which excluded women, according to CNN.
The second briefing on Sunday was organized after public criticism erupted over the barring of female reporters from Friday’s press conference, which drew condemnation from Indian media organizations and rights groups. The Press Club of India called the move “gender discrimination,” while the Editors Guild of India described it as “an affront to press freedom.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said it was not involved in organizing either event.
During the event, female journalists questioned Muttaqi about Taliban restrictions on Afghan women’s rights, such as bans on education and employment. Muttaqi said women were absent earlier due to a technical issue, not by design.
With female reporters allowed, male journalists in Delhi supported them by offering front-row seats to directly question the Taliban minister.
Afghanistan remains the only country where girls and women are prohibited from attending secondary and higher education. The Taliban introduced this policy after regaining power in 2021, following the withdrawal of U.S. and other Western military forces. Since then, the group has tightened restrictions on women’s rights and temporarily banned internet and mobile communications, though connectivity has now been restored in most parts of the country.
