At the base of the controversy over the Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi ’s exclusion of women from his first press conference , is a deeper tussle between the Taliban regime in Kabul that calls itself the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and the former democratically elected Afghan Government that referred to itself as the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, which is still recognised by India, over control of the Afghan Embassy compound in Delhi. The diplomatic staff remaining at the Embassy saw the press conferences, which they claim the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had encouraged, as an attempt to grab control of the Embassy, and now say they fear for their lives and the safety of their families.

The MEA has consistently rejected any role , saying it had “no involvemen

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