Kabul: Special Envoy of Qatar’s foreign minister for counter-terrorism and conflict resolution, Mutlaq bin Majed Al Qahtani has said that Indian officials held talks with Taliban political leadership.
The senior diplomat involved with the Afghan peace process said at a webinar held on June 21 that Indian officials met with Taliban leaders as the militant outfit is seen as a “key component” in Afghanistan’s political scenario.
The Qatari envoy confirmed for the first time that Indian officials had made a “quiet visit” to Doha to engage in peace talks with the Taliban.
Notably, the confirmation of the development comes days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had made two brief stopovers in Doha on June 9 and 15 to meet with the Qatari leadership. During this time, he held meets with the Qatari Foreign Minister and the National Security Advisor and also Zalmay Khalilzad, the US Special Representative on Afghanistan reconciliation.