Taliban Holds New Press Conference with Female Journalists After Criticism

The decision to include female journalists came after Friday’s incident, where guards at the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi barred female journalists from attending a press conference with Muttaqi. This exclusion sparked widespread outrage among Indian media, politicians, and civil society activists.

In response to the backlash, the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the Taliban delegation to hold another conference with equal participation of male and female journalists. Randeep Jaiswal, the spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, clarified on Saturday that the first press conference was organized independently by Afghan officials and that the Indian government had no role in its planning.

The Taliban’s move to include female journalists in the second press conference is seen as an attempt to address the criticism and improve its image, particularly regarding women’s rights. However, the Taliban’s policies on women’s participation in public life remain a contentious issue both domestically and internationally.