Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Sunday justified the absence of female journalists from his earlier press conference as a "technical issue", days after the incident sparked a major controversy for "insulting women".
"It was a technical issue," the visiting Afghan minister said, as he held his second press conference two days after the first presser triggered a row. He also claimed that 2.8 million girls are going to school and that the Taliban regime in Afghanistan has not declared it "haram".
On Friday, Muttaqi's presser triggered a major controversy after no female journalists were spotted at the event, with the Opposition terming it as "unacceptable" and an "insult to women".
The interaction was held hours after Muttaqi held wide-ranging talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
Sources in the Ministry of External Affairs said it had no role in organising the press meet. It is learnt that the decision on inviting journalists to the media interaction was taken by Taliban officials accompanying the foreign minister, news agency PTI 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.
Disclaimer: If your rights are infringed, please contact the webmaster and we will delete the infringing content in a timely manner. Thank you for your cooperation! |
