Taliban FM Faces Backlash Over Women Journalists Exclusion in India

October 14, 2025 – Afghanistan/India – 

During a high-profile visit to New Delhi, Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, held a press event that sparked major controversy after female journalists were reportedly barred from attending the initial session.  The exclusion prompted strong reactions from Indian media, civil society, and opposition figures, who interpreted it as a stark reinforcement of gender discrimination under Taliban rule even beyond Afghanistan’s borders.

In response to mounting criticism, Muttaqi convened a second press conference two days later, this time allowing women journalists to participate and publicly defending the earlier exclusion as a “technical issue.” During that session, he was pressed directly by female reporters about the regime’s longstanding bans on girls’ education, women’s participation in public life, and employment restrictions. He stated that the suspension of women’s schooling was not religiously mandated (i.e., not declared “haram”) but had been deferred until further orders from Afghanistan’s supreme leader. He also asserted that millions of students—including women—remain enrolled under the regime’s control, while acknowledging “limitations in specific parts.”

Observers argue that this incident reflects the deeply entrenched gender control the Taliban wield—not only within Afghanistan but in diplomatic settings abroad. The decision to exclude women journalists in India, a democratic country that officially supports press freedom, drew particular indignation as critics called it unacceptable and inconsistent with India’s values.

Muttaqi’s visit is itself part of a broader shift in India’s Afghanistan policy, where New Delhi has announced plans to reopen its embassy in Kabul and deepen engagement with the Taliban authorities. Analysts suggest India’s pragmatism toward the Taliban may be motivated by regional security concerns, Chinese influence, and rivalries with Pakistan.

In sum, this episode has served as a microcosm of the tensions at play: how gender exclusion remains integral to the Taliban’s governance model, and how diplomatic courtesies in foreign capitals are being tested by principles of press freedom and equal representation.

Reference – 

https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/taliban-muttaqi-afghanistan-women-delhi-b2843931.html

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/14/india/india-afghanistan-muttaqi-women-journalists-intl-hnk

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gze7ely6vo