&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "India distances itself from Taliban minister's Delhi press conference, where no women journalists were allowed")
Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's decision to not allow female journalists to his press conference in New Delhi on Friday (Oct 10) after meeting India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar led to sharp criticism of Taliban’s continued gender bias. Amid the outrage the Ministry of External Affairs distanced itself from the controversy, saying that it had nothing to do with the press conference held by Muttaqi.
Taking to the microblogging site X the MEA wrote," MEA had no involvement in the press interaction held yesterday by Afghanistan's Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, in Delhi".
Photographs of the press conference show Afghan leaders addressing a men-only presser. The move was slammed by journalists and political leaders as misogynistic and an insult to India’s democratic ethos.
On of the women Journalist taking to X wrote," “Women journalists were not invited to the press conference of Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. Unacceptable."
While another suggesting that the male journalists should have walked out wrote, "In my opinion, the male journalists should have walked out of the press conference as a mark of protest."
Muttaqi, Jaishankar meet
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Muttaqi met Jaishankar on Friday in Delhi where the two leader discussed bilateral trade, humanitarian assistance, and security cooperation.
In a move that is being seen as an effort to improve ties between the two countries, India announced the technical mission in Kabul to be upgraded to an embassy.
"India is fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Afghanistan. I am pleased to announce the upgrading of India's Technical Mission to the status of embassy," Jaishankar said.
While the Taliban minister made it clear that his country does not given any kind of support to terror groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, which have carried out several attacks against India.
"Not a single one of them is in Afghanistan. Not an inch of land is controlled by them in the country... Let other countries also act against such terror groups like Afghanistan did for peace," said Muttaqi.
