Dhaka, Friday, Jan 16, 2026
A striking image from Delhi on Monday morning showed Indian female journalists occupying front-row seats at a press conference by Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi — a scene that spoke louder than words.The press meet, held at the Afghan embassy on Sunday, came just two days after widespread outrage over the exclusion of women from Muttaqi’s first media interaction on Friday. Following heavy criticism from Indian politicians, journalist associations, and the public, the Taliban minister’s team sent out fresh invitations for what they described as an “inclusive” event.Muttaqi, who is on a week-long visit to India, claimed the earlier exclusion of women was “unintentional” and the result of “a technical issue”. “There was no deliberate intention,” he said, adding that the invitation list had been drawn up hastily.However, the controversy had already sparked a storm. The Editors Guild of India, the Indian Women’s Press Corps, and the Network ...
