This Article is From Jun 29, 2021

Reports Claiming Foreign Minister Met Taliban Leaders Are "False": Sources

Reports claiming S Jaishankar's meeting with Taliban leaders emerged as the US looked to complete the withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan by September 11.

Reports Claiming Foreign Minister Met Taliban Leaders Are 'False': Sources

The "false" reports claimed Taliban leaders assured S Jaishankar over future relations with India (File).

New Delhi:

Reports claiming that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with certain Taliban leaders are "completely false, baseless and mischievous", sources said on Tuesday.

The reaction from sources came after some reports on social media claimed that Mr Jaishankar met certain Taliban leaders, who assured the minister that the outfit's future relations with India will not be based on Pakistan's views and wishes.

"We have seen social media reports claiming that the External Affairs Minister has met certain Taliban leaders. Such reports are completely false, baseless and mischievous," said a source.

The reports emerged as the US looked to complete the withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan by September 11, ending a nearly two-decade of its military presence in the war-ravaged country.

In the midst of fast-paced developments relating to the Afghan peace process, a senior Qatari diplomat said at a webinar organised by the Arab Center in Washington DC recently that he believed the Indian side was engaging with the Taliban as the group could be a key component in the future of Afghanistan

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

.