Afghan FM Muttaqi's Agra visit cancelled, invites women journalists to new press meet

Amir Khan Muttaqi

The visit of Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to Agra on Sunday has been cancelled, several news portal reported quoting official sources. However, officials in Agra did not mention any reason for the cancellation.

Although completely unrelated, Muttaqi visit to Agra was called off a day after Afghanistan and Pakistan were involved in intense clashes along the border, resulting in killing of at least 18 Pakistani soldiers.

According to news reports, Muttaqi has called another press conference in New Delhi on Sunday, inviting women journalists this time, after facing backlash for their exclusion from his earlier media interaction. Muttaqi, who is on a week-long visit to India, had addressed a press briefing on Friday evening that drew widespread criticism after women journalists were "not invited". The move was condemned as “discriminatory” by several journalist bodies, including the Editors Guild of India and the Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC).

Muttaqi was scheduled to spend about an hour and a half at the monument before returning to Delhi. Muttaqi, who landed in New Delhi on Thursday on a six-day trip, is the first senior Taliban minister to visit India after the group seized power four years ago. India has not yet recognised the Taliban set up.

Afghanistan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was on Saturday accorded a rousing reception during his visit to the prestigious Islamic seminary Darul Uloom at Deoband in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district, amid controversy over not allowing women journalists.

The Afghan foreign minister's visit to India comes at a time when both India and Afghanistan are having frosty relations with Pakistan over a range of issues, including cross-border terrorism.