Taliban ban entry of female journalists in Delhi press conference, furious Congress asks, ‘Who are they to…?’
New Delhi: Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi held a press conference at the Afghan Embassy on Friday, October 10. Twenty journalists were present, but not a single one was female.
Taliban officials decided who would attend press conference
According to media reports, Taliban officials accompanying Muttaqi decided who would attend the press conference. Although Indian officials had suggested that female journalists should also be present, this was ignored.
It is unclear whether the Taliban had previously informed India that they would not invite female journalists. Congress spokesperson Shama Mohammed objected to this, asking, “Who are they to have an agenda of discrimination against women on our land?”
Refusal to give Bagram Airbase to Trump
Amir Khan Muttaqi stated during a press conference that he would not give Bagram Airbase to anyone. He also stated that Afghanistan would not allow its land to be used against any country.
US President Donald Trump stated last month that he wanted the U.S.-built Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan back. Failure to do so would result in serious consequences.
Muttaqi stated that the Afghan people would never accept foreign forces on their soil. If any country wants to build relations with Afghanistan, it should do so diplomatically, not in military uniform.
India-Afghanistan relations
Muttaqi also mentioned the historical and cultural ties between India and Afghanistan. He described India as a close friend who stood by Afghanistan in difficult times.
After the recent earthquake in Herat province, India was the first to send humanitarian aid. He said, “India was the first to help. We consider India a close friend.”
Invite India to invest in Afghanistan
Muttaqi invited India to invest in Afghanistan’s mineral and energy sectors. He said that the path to Afghanistan’s resources passes through the Taliban and that they want to work with India.
Afghanistan has large deposits of resources such as lithium, copper, and rare earth minerals, which are crucial for the battery and technology industries.
India to reopen Embassy in Afghanistan
India has said that it will reopen its embassy in Afghanistan. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announced this on Friday during a bilateral meeting with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Taliban government.
He said that India will convert its technical mission in Kabul into an embassy. India had closed the embassy after the Taliban came to power in 2021, but a year later, it opened a smaller mission to facilitate trade, medical assistance, and humanitarian aid.
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