Just before Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s press conference began Sunday afternoon, two members from the Taliban delegation entered the venue, a hall at the back of the Afghanistan Embassy, carrying a white flag.

This was the Taliban’s flag of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which they put up behind Muttaqi’s seat. They also moved the wooden podium which bore the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan’s logo. That belonged to the old regime. The new regime had arrived.

Among those waiting for Muttaqi at the hall were a large number of women journalists from Indian and foreign media houses, a departure from Friday’s press conference from which women were barred.

Some came covered head to toe. One foreign journalist played it safe by wearing black and covering her hair.

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