This image is actually from an event at the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) in Delhi.
Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who is on a groundbreaking six-day visit to India, on 10 October held a press conference at New Delhi, in which female journalists were allegedly not allowed to participate, sparking widespread criticism. Against this backdrop, an image is being shared widely on social media to claim what was said, women were present during Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s press conference at the Afghan embassy in Delhi.
Let’s check the facts.
Fact Check-
We began our investigation with a reverse image search on Google and found it was originally posted by VIF India on Twitter on 10 October, 2025, with the caption, “Highlights from today’s interaction at the VIF with Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister, H.E. Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi. The conversation underscored the deep economic, historical, cultural, and civilizational ties between the two countries. His mention of Rabindranath Tagore’s Kabuliwala struck a poignant chord with the audience.”
The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) is a New Delhi-based think tank specialising in foreign affairs, national security and strategy, and public policy.
Meanwhile, we reviewed the Afghan Foreign Minister’s news conference with his Indian counterpart, Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar, at the Afghan embassy in New Delhi. The images from the event were released on the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Twitter account, and there were no women journalists in attendance.
Following the controversy over the exclusion of women journalists at his first press conference in New Delhi, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi held a second briefing on 12 October 2025 at the Afghan Embassy, which was notably inclusive, with around half of the 100 attending journalists being women.
These evidences indicate that the viral image is from an event at the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) in Delhi, where Muttaqi spoke on economic, cultural, and historical ties between India and Afghanistan.
Conclusion-
Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the viral image to be Misleading. This image is actually from an event at the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) in Delhi.
Title:This viral image is not from Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s press conference
Fact Check By: Usha ManojResult: Misleading
