(MENAFN- Live Mint) The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday clarified that it was not involved in the press conference conducted by Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Delhi.

Also Read: Afghan FM Muttaqi in India: Absence of female journalists raises eyebrows

A press conference addressed by Afghan Foreign Minister Muttaqi saw participation restricted to a handful of reporters, while women journalists were conspicuous by their absence.

“MEA had no involvement in the press interaction held yesterday by Afghanistan's Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, in Delhi,” said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

However, PTI reported, citing sources, that the Indian side had suggested to the Afghan side that women journalists should be part of the invitees for the event.

The decision on inviting journalists to the media interaction was taken by Taliban officials accompanying the foreign minister, PTI had earlier reported.

The Taliban regime in Kabul has faced severe criticism from various countries as well as global bodies like the United Nations for restricting the rights of women in Afghanistan .

Also Read: Left trapped under debris, untreated: Afghan women lament Taliban's 'no skin contact with males' rule after earthquake

Muttaqi even side-stepped a direct question on the plight of women in Afghanistan, but said every country has its own customs, laws and principles, and there should be respect for them.

A controversy erupted in New Delhi over a press conference by the Taliban's acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, where Indian women journalists were allegedly barred from attending at the Afghanistan Embassy.

Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram was more critical of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over the issue and expressed his disappointment with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

“I understand the geopolitical compulsions that force us to engage with the Taliban, but to accede to their discriminatory & plain primitive mores is outright ridiculous. It's very disappointing to note the conduct of the Ministry of External Affairs and S Jaishankar in excluding women journalists from the press briefing of the Taliban Minister,” he said.

The Taliban minister is on a week-long visit to Indi , beginning from October 9 till October 16. This is the first high-level delegation from Kabul to India since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021.

No joint press briefing followed the official meeting.

Instead, the Afghan delegation conducted a separate media interaction on embassy premises.

At the event, Muttaqi spoke on a range of regional issues, including India-Afghanistan relations, humanitarian aid, trade connectivity, and security cooperation.

The press conference was attended only by selected male journalists and officials from the Afghan embassy.

Also Read: Women's rights in Afghanistan: What to know about the Taliban and Islamic law

Under the“Taliban 2.0” regime that took power in August 2021, Afghan women and girls face what the UN calls the most severe women's rights crisis in the world.

Rather than a more moderate approach, the Taliban have systematically expanded and intensified their restrictions on women's lives, effectively erasing them from public existence.

(With inputs from agencies)

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