Afghanistan Taliban Deny Meeting With UN

KABUL: The Taliban denied Saturday that leaders of the group fighting to overthrow the Afghan government had met with UN representatives to discuss bringing peace to Afghanistan.

The Taliban issued a statement branding reports of a meeting with the UN’s outgoing special representative to Afghanistan, Kai Eide, in Dubai this month as “rumours” and “propaganda”.

Referring to itself as “the leading council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” — as it did during its 1996-2001 rule of Afghanistan — the group said the reports were “propaganda by the invading forces against the jihad and mujahideen”.

“The leading council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan strongly denies the rumours reported by some international media about talks between Kai Eide and representatives of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,” the Taliban said.