Afghan Foreign Minister says “technical error” on excluding women from earlier press conference

Visiting Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Sunday stated that the omission of women from a press conference held in New Delhi was unintentional, attributed instead to a “technical issue,” reports 24brussels. This clarification came in response to a backlash from Indian media and political circles regarding the exclusion.

Muttaqi explained that the decision was influenced by the short notice of the event and a limited selection of journalists. “The participation list that was presented was very specific. It was more a technical issue… Our colleagues had decided to send an invitation to a specific list of journalists and there was no other intention apart from this,” he remarked.

In a move to rectify the situation, Muttaqi held an additional press interaction later in the day, specifically inviting women journalists to attend. The initial exclusion had generated significant outrage, prompting several female journalists and media organizations to express their discontent following the briefing after bilateral talks with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

On Saturday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) distanced itself from the incident, asserting it had no role in the press briefing hosted by the Afghan Foreign Minister. “MEA had no involvement in the press interaction held yesterday by the Afghan FM in Delhi,” the ministry clarified in an official statement.

The event was organized at the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi, following discussions between Jaishankar and Muttaqi on regional matters, including India-Afghanistan relations, humanitarian assistance, trade routes, and security cooperation. Critics highlighted that attendees were predominantly male journalists and Afghan embassy officials.

The exclusion ignited political outrage across India, with Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra calling for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the issue. She labeled the incident “an insult to India’s women journalists,” demanding clarity on the Prime Minister’s stance regarding women’s rights. In a post on X, she stated, “If your recognition of women’s rights isn’t just convenient posturing from one election to the other, then how has this insult to some of India’s most competent women been allowed in our country, a country whose women are its backbone and its pride.”