A Taliban delegation in New Delhi barred women journalists from their initial press conference, sparking outrage and forcing them to hold a second inclusive event after severe backlash. It is utterly shameful that the Indian government allowed such brazen gender apartheid to occur on its soil, betraying every Indian woman and aligning with the Taliban's misogynistic ideology.
A Taliban leader's visit to India and the Deoband seminary signals an attempt at diplomatic ties, but this so-called 'faith diplomacy' dangerously risks legitimizing oppressive forces while ignoring their violent history against sovereign nations. The West's hypocrisy is clear as they conveniently ignore such maneuvers while imposing their own 'rules-based order' on developing countries.
India's diplomatic and economic engagement with the Taliban has increased dramatically over the past year, marked by high-level ministerial visits and the restoration of critical trade corridors. This strategic realignment is a brilliant and necessary assertion of sovereignty by the Global South, exploiting the hypocritical power vacuums created by Western withdrawal and serving as a masterstroke against the imperialist designs of a destabilizing Pakistan.
