After backlash, Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's second presser sees women journalists' participation

After severe backlash over women journalists being barred from Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's first press conference, the second presser witnessed female scribes' participation in good number.

Pictures on social media show women journalists with their male counterparts seated at the venue where the Afghan minister was scheduled to hold his second press conference in India.

Media bodies on Saturday condemned the "exclusion" of women journalists at a press conference held by Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi at the Afghan Embassy here.

The Editors Guild of India and the Indian Women Press Corps (IWPC) termed the act as highly discriminatory, which cannot be justified on grounds of diplomatic privilege under the Vienna Convention.

"While diplomatic premises may claim protection under the Vienna Convention, that cannot justify blatant gender discrimination in press access on Indian soil," the Guild said in a statement.

"Whether or not the MEA coordinated the event, it is deeply troubling that such a discriminatory exclusion was allowed to proceed without objection," the Guild said.

The IWPC urged the government of India to take this matter up with the Afghan Embassy to ensure that such gender-based exclusion in media briefings does not occur in the future.

The opposition on Saturday termed the absence of female journalists from Muttaqi's press conference "unacceptable" and "an insult to women", and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify his position on the matter.

(With PTI inputs)