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 of Women in Media, India, condemned the gender-based exclusion as “highly discriminatory,” urging the Indian government to uphold constitutional freedoms. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “failing to stand up for women.”

Delhi maintains informal ties with the Taliban but has not officially recognised their government. Muttaqi’s visit, which included a meeting with Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, is seen as part of a broader diplomatic balancing act — offering the Taliban a platform while serving India’s regional interests.

During Sunday’s press meet, Muttaqi was grilled on the Taliban’s treatment of women. He claimed that “some limits exist” but denied that women’s education had been deemed “haram.” Journalists challenged this, citing the ongoing ban on girls’ secondary and higher education in Afghanistan and the removal of books by female authors.

While his answers may have done little to convince sceptics, the moment itself — women journalists directly questioning a Taliban minister — stood out as a powerful image of defiance and dialogue.

#BBC