Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi faced heavy criticism after women journalists were not invited to his press conference during his visit to India. On Sunday, October 12, Muttaqi blamed the issue on a “technical problem” and said the decision was not meant to discriminate based on gender. He explained that the original press conference had a short notice and a specific list of journalists, which led to the exclusion of women.

“Regarding the press conference, it was on short notice and a short list of journalists was decided,” Muttaqi said. “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.”

To address the controversy, Muttaqi called another press conference on the same day and invited women journalists, even giving them front-row seats.

The controversy began after Muttaqi held a press conference at the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi on Friday, October 10, after bilateral talks with India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. Several journalists, media outlets, and opposition leaders criticized the exclusion of women, saying they were denied entry.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India clarified that it had no role in organizing the press conference. In a statement on Saturday, October 11, the MEA said, “MEA had no involvement in the press interaction held yesterday by the Afghan FM in Delhi.”

The issue also drew criticism from Indian political leaders. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding an explanation for the incident. He said that allowing women journalists to be excluded from a public forum sends the wrong message about women’s rights in India. Gandhi added, “In our country, women have the right to equal participation in every space. Your silence in the face of such discrimination exposes the emptiness of your slogans on Nari Shakti.”

The incident sparked a wider debate about gender equality and women’s participation in media and public events. Many activists and journalists called for stronger measures to ensure that women are not excluded from press briefings or official events in the future.