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 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.