Technical Glitch or Gender Snitch? Afghan FM’s Press Meet Sparks Outrage, Correction Follows

Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Sunday clarified that women journalists were not invited to his press conference in New Delhi due to a “technical issue,” not intentional discrimination. He extended a new invitation to women journalists for a follow-up interaction.

Speaking amid backlash from Indian media and politicians, Muttaqi said, “With regards to the press conference, it was on short notice and a short list of journalists was decided. The participation list that was presented was very specific. It was more of 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.”

The original press briefing, held at the Afghanistan Embassy following bilateral talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, included only selected male journalists and Afghan embassy officials. The exclusion of women journalists drew widespread criticism across India. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called it “an insult to India’s women journalists” and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify his position.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated it had no role in organizing the press interaction. While similar exclusions have occurred abroad in countries with conservative norms—such as previous Taliban-era press events in Afghanistan—such incidents are extremely rare in India, making this a notable controversy.

During the presser, Muttaqi discussed India-Afghanistan relations, humanitarian aid, trade routes, and security cooperation. However, the gender-based controversy overshadowed the discussions, highlighting ongoing challenges for women journalists in accessing diplomatic events, even in countries where gender equality is constitutionally guaranteed.

After facing widespread criticism for excluding women journalists from Friday’s press meet in New Delhi, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi held a second, more inclusive press conference on Sunday and offered a clarification for the earlier omission. He attributed the exclusion to a “technical issue” rather than intentional discrimination. Regardless of intent, opposition parties may take credit for pushing the change that ensured female journalists were included in the follow-up event.