The Taliban held a press conference at the Afghan embassy in New Delhi on Sunday with female journalists present, two days after attracting a storm of criticism for reportedly turning women and foreign journalists away from a similar event.
“Standing inside the embassy of Afghanistan attending the press conference that should have happened much before. But better late than never,“ the independent Indian journalist Nayanima Basu posted on X.
Amir Khan Muttaqi, the de-facto foreign minister, fielded questions from women journalists about the exclusion of women and girls from education in Afghanistan during Sunday’s press conference, held during a visit to the Indian capital for talks with government officials.
Muttaqi’s visit to India is the first by a Taliban leader since the group retook power in Afghanistan in August 2021. Since then, the group has imposed ever more draconian restrictions on women and girls, excluding them from education, employment, and public life.
The visit has been overshadowed by an outcry over the apparent exclusion of female journalists from Friday’s event, which was condemned by the opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and the Editors Guild of India, among others.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it had “no involvement” in organising Friday’s press interaction. A Taliban official later told the BBC that women’s exclusion resulted from a “lack of coordination,” adding that they would be invited “next time.”
During the visit, India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar announced plans to reopen the Indian embassy in Kabul, which was closed after the Taliban takeover.
Analysts say the Taliban’s outreach to India is part of an effort to diversify diplomatic relations and reduce reliance on Pakistan.
Relations between the Taliban and Pakistan have deteriorated sharply following a Pakistani airstrike in Kabul that targeted the leader of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Against this backdrop, the Taliban appear eager to improve ties with India, a long-time rival of Pakistan and a regional power that has maintained cautious contact with the Taliban since 2021.
