Background and controversy surrounding the Afghan Foreign Minister’s Deoband visit
The recent visit of Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to the Darul Uloom Deoband in Saharanpur, India, has ignited a debate over media access and gender representation. After a loud controversy about the absence of female journalists at a press conference held the day before in New Delhi, questions were raised about whether women reporters were being barred from cover at Deoband. Critics argued the incident reflected broader concerns about women’s rights under the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan. Proponents, meanwhile, urged careful verification of attendance policies and security considerations that can affect media coverage.
In this context, the seminary sought to clarify its stance and the circumstances surrounding the event. The Deoband authorities asserted that there were no directives from the Afghan Foreign Minister’s office restricting attendance by women journalists. They also indicated that the public program was called off at the last moment for reasons unrelated to gender, including overcrowding and security logistics.
What the seminary and organizers said
Darul Uloom Deoband’s PRO Ashraf Usmani, who also serves as the media in-charge for Mr. Muttaqi’s visit, told PTI that there were no instructions to exclude women reporters. He described the allegations as baseless and emphasized that the attendance policy was not dictated by Afghan or Indian authorities. The seminary hosted the event and later explained that the programme was canceled due to “overcrowding” and security concerns, not because of gender-based restrictions.
Usmani noted that even though the public event was called off, the presence of women journalists who did cover parts of the day demonstrated that women reporters could attend. He also highlighted that seating arrangements were made to accommodate both male and female journalists, and he explicitly denied the existence of any purdah-like barriers at the venue.
How the incident was framed by wider political voices
The controversy surrounding the press conference in New Delhi—the day before the Deoband visit—had drawn sharp responses from opposition parties and media watchdogs. The Editors Guild of India and the Indian Women’s Press Corps criticized the episode as discriminatory and potentially contrary to norms of press freedom under the Vienna Convention. They argued that access to information and media coverage should not be curtailed on the grounds of gender or diplomatic privilege alone.
Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani offered a measured take, suggesting that it was coincidental that the previous press conference appeared to be attended mainly by men. He stated that the Afghan Foreign Minister had not explicitly barred women from attending, and he labeled the broader interpretation as propaganda. Such remarks underscore how media access debates can quickly become entangled with broader political narratives about Afghanistan’s governance and women’s rights.
Security, logistics, and media access at the Deoband event
According to Usmani, the Deoband administration had arranged coverage spaces and ensured that reporters—men and women alike—could perform their duties without impediment. The last-minute cancellation of the public event was attributed to security considerations arising from crowd size, rather than any policy toward female journalists. He recalled an impromptu media interaction at the guest house when Muttaqi was still dining, explaining how organizers pivoted to provide a quicker, informal opportunity for media questions before the minister departed for Delhi.
Implications for press freedom and regional media coverage
While the Deoband clarification may settle some questions about attendance, the episode highlights ongoing debates about women’s access to political events in sensitive settings. Media groups have pressed for clear, consistent guidelines that protect press freedom while balancing security needs. The international community and press watchdogs continue to watch how Afghan authorities and host institutions handle journalists’ access, especially with reporting on Afghanistan’s foreign policy and the Taliban era’s impact on women’s rights.
Bottom line
The Darul Uloom Deoband has asserted that there were no directives curbing women’s attendance at the Afghan Foreign Minister’s event, and that the program’s cancellation was due to practical security concerns and overcrowding. The broader discourse around women in journalism and diplomatic coverages persists, with media associations urging clear policies and equal access for reporters of all genders.
