MEA denies involvement in Afghan FM Muttaqi’s presser that excluded women journalists

The Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday (October 11, 2025) clarified that it was not involved in the press interaction held on Friday (October 10) by the visiting Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi.

The statement comes after the presser drew heavy criticism over the exclusion of women journalists. According to PTI, it is learnt that the decision on inviting journalists to the media interaction was taken by Taliban officials accompanying the Foreign Minister.

“MEA had no involvement in the press interaction held yesterday by the Afghan FM in Delhi,” the Ministry said on Saturday (October 11).

Reacting to the news, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra described the incident as an “insult to some of India’s most competent women”.

The Congress general secretary said if the Prime Minister’s recognition of women’s rights isn’t just convenient posturing from one election to the other, how has this “insult to some of India’s most competent women been allowed in our country”.

The press conference had been organised at the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi following bilateral talks between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Mr. Muttaqi. No joint press briefing was held after the official meeting between the two ministers and the Afghan side alone conducted a separate media interaction at its embassy premises.

Former Union Home Minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram also expressed shock and disappointment, saying male journalists should have walked out in solidarity with their female colleagues.
“I am shocked that women journalists were excluded from the press conference addressed by Mr Amir Khan Muttaqi of Afghanistan. In my personal view, the men journalists should have walked out when they found that their women colleagues were excluded (or not invited),” Mr. Chidambaram said in a post on X.

The Taliban regime in Kabul has faced severe criticism from various countries as well as global bodies like the United Nations for restricting the rights of women in Afghanistan.

On Friday, Muttaqi side-stepped a direct question on the plight of women in Afghanistan, but said every country has its own customs, laws and principles, and there should be respect for them.

With inputs from agencies