Afghan FM Muttaqi Denies Excluding Women Journalists from Delhi Presser, Cites ‘Technical Issue’

Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Sunday addressed the controversy surrounding.

The absence of female journalists at his press conference in New Delhi, saying it was “more of a technical issue” rather than a deliberate exclusion. The interaction, held at the Afghanistan Embassy on Friday after Muttaqi’s talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, sparked criticism when several women journalists reported being denied entry. No joint press briefing followed the bilateral meeting; instead, the Afghan side held a separate media session at its embassy premises.

Prominent female journalists highlighted the exclusion on social media, prompting opposition leaders to question the incident. In response, India’s Ministry of External Affairs clarified that it had “no involvement in the press interaction held yesterday by the Afghan FM in Delhi.”

Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen, speaking to CNN-News18 on Saturday, described the episode as “unintentional” and said he would discuss the matter with Muttaqi upon his return to Kabul. Explaining the situation, Muttaqi said, “With regard to the press conference, it was organized on short notice and a specific list of journalists was invited. It was more of a technical issue—our colleagues had prepared a limited invitation list, and there was no other intention behind it.”