Taliban Backtracks, Allows Women To News Conference

Bowing to widespread criticism over its exclusion of women journalists, the Taliban sought to defuse the controversy on Sunday, with Afghanistan’s embassy in Delhi convening another news press conference where officials claimed the absence of female reporters at Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s earlier briefing was merely a “technical issue”.

Muttaqi was at ease answering a volley of questions from reporters on the treatment of women in Afghanistan. It was a hurriedly-called presser, with the embassy officials reaching out to journalists late morning. The “technical issue” was that the embassy in New Delhi at the moment, does not have a press officer and officials claimed that they had no idea how to reach various reporters. Many of those working in the Afghan mission in New Delhi, were loyal to the previous regime and have quit. The flag that is still flying in the embassy compound is that of the old regime of former presidents - Ashraf Ghani and Hamid  Karzai - when Afghanistan was known as the  Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

But in the conventional hall, where Muttaqi was interacting with reporters, the black and white Taliban flag with the Islamic declaration of faith, the shahada, written in black Arabic calligraphy in the center, was on display. “This is the Jihadi flag”, the minister declared with pride. Under the Taliban, the country is now known as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Muttaqi evaded direct answers on the status of women in his country by blandly declaring that women in Afghanistan were both free and secure after decades of conflict. “Everyone in Afghanistan is secure and free after we established the rule of law in the country”. He claimed that 2.8 million children in school were girls. It is a fact that the Taliban allows girls to get the basic primary education.

Questioned about the killing of Indian journalist Danish Siddique, an ace photographer who worked with Reuters in 2021 as the Taliban was taking control of Afghanistan, the minister said : “We regret all those who died in the last forty years of conflict. But since the last four years since we came in there are no reports of such deaths, no journalists have died,” he proclaimed. He claimed that all Afghans are secure and happy under Taliban rule. Those who have returned to the country from Europe say they feel “very safe” in the country. “There is peace in Afghanistan and sections of people here are living happily.”

He was repeatedly asked about Pakistan and Afghanistan’s current tension with its neighbour. Muttaqi was quick to point out that the Taliban had no problem with the people of Pakistan, who are generous and accommodating. So are the political leaders.

Without naming the army, he said there are certain “sections” in Pakistan that are opposed to the Taliban. He denied Islamabad’s charges that Kabul was sheltering and helping the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or the Pakistani Taliban. He claimed that Islamabad had all the resources to fight the TTP and should do so without accusing the government in Kabul of sheltering and aiding them. He blamed the previous regime for allowing the TTP to spread their wings in Afghanistan.

Muttaqi’s news conference today indicates that the Taliban heeds to public outrage in India. But this is unlikely to have any impact on Afghan women who have been thrown out of all public spaces in their country.