Afghan FM Muttaqi’s Agra visit cancelled; Taliban leader calls presser again, this time inviting women journalists
Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's planned visit to Agra was cancelled amid criticism over the exclusion of female journalists from a press meet. His upcoming presser is reportedly scheduled at 2 pm Indian Standard Time (IST).
Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s Agra visit, scheduled for Sunday 12 October, has been cancelled. Further, following much uproar, the Afghan FM has reportedly called a fresh press meet, this time inviting women journalists.
Agra officials have not provided any explanation for the cancellation. The Afghan foreign minister had planned to visit the Taj Mahal in Agra. Muttaqi was expected to spend approximately an hour and a half at the monument before heading back to Delhi. The protocol department of the district administration also confirmed the cancellation, according to PTI.
The upcoming presser is reportedly scheduled at 2 pm Indian Standard Time (IST).
The opposition and media bodies on Saturday called the absence of female journalists from a press conference of visiting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Friday "unacceptable" and an “insult to women”.
The Editors Guild of India and the Indian Women Press Corps (IWPC) condemned the act as highly discriminatory and unjustifiable. The Guild stated, “While diplomatic premises may claim protection under the Vienna Convention, that cannot justify blatant gender discrimination in press access on Indian soil.” They also expressed concern, saying, "Whether or not the MEA coordinated the event, it is deeply troubling that such a discriminatory exclusion was allowed to proceed without objection."
Meanwhile, the IWPC called on the Indian government to address the issue with the Afghan Embassy to prevent any future gender-based exclusion in media briefings.
Muttaqi's media-in-charge and MEA clarify
"There were no restrictions from the Afghan foreign minister's office about who would attend," Deoband PRO Ashraf Usmani, also the media in-charge of Muttaqi’s Saturday programme informed PTI.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also clarified, saying that it had no involvement in Muttaqi-organised press conference. The ministry stated, “MEA had no involvement in the press interaction held yesterday by the Afghan FM in Delhi.”
Muttaqi's India visit
Muttaqi, who arrived in New Delhi on Thursday for a six-day visit, is the first high-ranking Taliban minister to come to India since the group took control four years ago. India has not officially recognised the Taliban government.
His visit to India occurs amid tense relations between both India and Afghanistan with Pakistan, stemming from various issues, including cross-border terrorism.
On Saturday, the Afghan foreign minister visited Darul Uloom Deoband in Saharanpur, one of South Asia's most prominent Islamic seminaries.
“I am thankful for such a grand welcome and the affection shown by the people here. I hope that India-Afghanistan ties advance further. We will be sending new diplomats, and I hope you people will visit Kabul as well. I have hopes for stronger ties in the future – from the way I was received in Delhi, these visits may be frequent in the near future,” Muttaqi said.