India has rubbished media reports about External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s speculated meeting with the Taliban leaders in Doha, and reiterated its commitment to a Taliban-led and Taliban-driven peace process in Afghanistan. These reports are mischievous and false, said Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson of India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). In view of escalating violence in Afghanistan, the Indian government has issued a media advisory for Indian nationals in that country. During his stopovers in Doha on June 22, Mr Jaishankar held talks on the situation in Afghanistan with his Qatari counterpart and U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad.
