• Source:JND
HighLights
  1. India rejects official status of reported Track-2 dialogue with Pakistan.
  2. Foreign Secretary Misri clarifies private nature of Colombo discussions.
  3. New Delhi assigns no official sanctity or value to these events.

In a major diplomatic assertion that firmly refutes reports of any diplomatic thaw with Islamabad, India has categorically distanced itself from reported back-channel engagements with Pakistan, clarifying that such interactions hold no official sanctity or value for New Delhi.

Foreign Secretary Misri, when asked about the Track-2 India-Pakistan dialogue in Colombo, told ANI, "I have seen the reports. I am aware of them. Dozens of these kinds of events take place in dozens of places around the world on a whole variety of subjects. There's nothing new, nothing special about these events. As far as we are concerned, these are private events organised by private parties. There is nothing official about them as far as we are concerned."

What is Track-2 diplomacy?

Track-2 diplomacy traditionally refers to unofficial dialogue involving retired diplomats, former military officers, academics, think tank experts, journalists, and civil society representatives who participate in their personal capacities to explore conflict management.

However, the Foreign Secretary's remarks make it clear that New Delhi refuses to give any weight to unauthorised engagements.

The statement comes amid a complete freeze in bilateral ties, which plummeted to a historic low after Pakistani state-sponsored terrorists killed 26 civilians in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in April 2025.

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In response, India launched "Operation Sindoor" in May 2025, targeting terror camps, bases, and launchpads across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK).

Following India's retaliatory military action against the cross-border terror infrastructure, formal diplomatic ties between New Delhi and Islamabad remained frozen. Currently, only the hotline between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries remains operational.

Unofficial back-channel diplomacy

Contextualising the current situation, certain media reports recently emerged claiming that unofficial back-channel and Track-2 diplomacy between India and Pakistan had intensified, shifting from dispute resolution to conflict management.

These media reports suggested that some Track-2 people-to-people connections might have taken place since late 2025.

More recently, reports and claims surfaced suggesting that top retired defence officials and some individuals close to the ruling dispensations of both countries had met in Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital, on the sidelines of a security conference.

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Maintaining India's clear and principled stand against unauthorised engagements, the Foreign Secretary further added, "I cannot speak for the government of Pakistan, but as far as the Government of India is concerned, there is no official participation, no official support or involvement in these visits. Anybody from India who is participating in these events, whether retired diplomats, retired military officials, or members of civil society, when they participate in such events, they speak for themselves and they represent their own point of view. They do not in any way represent the view of the Government of India. We really take no cognisance of these events. They really don't hold much value, as far as we are concerned."

(With inputs from agency)

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