No Women Journalists at Taliban FM Muttaqi’s Press Meet
Taliban foreign minister meets select reporters in New Delhi amid ongoing concerns over women’s rights in Afghanistan
No women journalists were present at a news conference held by Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi at the Afghan embassy on Friday, with participation limited to fewer than 20 reporters. Taliban officials accompanying Muttaqi made the final call on attendance, sources familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity. Indian authorities had indicated that participation should be inclusive and include women journalists.
It is unusual for women journalists to be excluded from official events and media interactions in New Delhi hosted by other countries. It remains unclear whether the Taliban formally informed Indian authorities that women journalists would not be allowed at Muttaqi’s interaction.
The Taliban administration has largely rolled back rights for women and girls established by elected governments in recent decades. The UN has noted that Afghan women are being denied opportunities to join the workforce and access essential services without a male relative, while girls continue to face restrictions on education.
Muttaqi, the first senior Taliban official to officially visit India, appeared relaxed during the news conference and answered questions in Urdu. He was seated in a room beneath a painting of the 6th-century Buddha statues at Bamiyan, which were destroyed on the orders of former Taliban chief Mullah Omar.
In response to questions about the suppression of women’s rights, Muttaqi highlighted that before the Taliban returned to power in Kabul on August 15, 2021, around 200 to 400 people died daily in Afghanistan.
“In these four years, there have been no such losses. Laws are in force and everyone has their rights. Those who spread propaganda are mistaken. Every country has its own customs, laws, and principles. If people were unhappy with the system, why has peace returned?” he said.
Muttaqi added that previously, not even the Americans could enforce any order in Afghanistan, but now there is “peace [and a] united government.” He claimed that there has not been a single major incident or quarrel, suggesting that people are satisfied with the current system and the rights provided by the administration.
The arrangements for the news conference reflected the sensitivities of India’s engagement with the Taliban. When Muttaqi took his seat, an aide placed a small Taliban flag in front of him. However, there were no flags in the backdrop or on the table when he met external affairs minister S. Jaishankar at Hyderabad House earlier in the day.
