Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has categorically rejected media reports suggesting a resumption of back-channel or Track-2 dialogue between India and Pakistan, asserting that New Delhi attaches no official significance to such unofficial interactions. The statement comes as bilateral relations remain frozen following the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025 and India's retaliatory military action, Operation Sindoor, in May 2025.
Misri's Firm Rejection of Track-2 Reports
Speaking to ANI in Victoria, Seychelles, Misri addressed recent claims that retired defence officials and individuals close to the ruling dispensations of both countries had met in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on the sidelines of a security conference. He stated, “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.”
Misri further clarified that any Indian participants in such events—whether retired diplomats, military officials, or civil society members—speak only for themselves and do not represent 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,” he added.
Context of Frozen Bilateral Ties
India-Pakistan relations plummeted to a historic low after Pakistani state-sponsored terrorists killed 26 civilians in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in April 2025. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor in May 2025, targeting terror camps, bases, and launchpads across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK). Formal diplomatic ties remain suspended, with only the hotline between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) operational.
Pakistan had unilaterally downgraded bilateral relations after India's abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, which removed the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. The Pahalgam attack further deepened the freeze, leading to a suspension of direct trade and diplomatic exchanges.
Strategic and Economic Implications
India also took the unprecedented step of keeping the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following the Pahalgam attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that “blood and water cannot flow together,” reinforcing India's stance against cross-border terrorism. The suspension of the water pact has significant implications for Pakistan, whose agriculture and power generation depend heavily on the Indus waters.
Additionally, while India's overflight rights over Pakistani airspace have been restricted, Pakistan faces a more severe strategic challenge due to the water treaty suspension and continued diplomatic isolation.
Track-2 Diplomacy: Definition and India's Stance
Track-2 diplomacy typically involves unofficial dialogue among retired diplomats, former military officers, academics, think tank experts, journalists, and civil society representatives acting in their personal capacities to explore conflict management. However, Misri's remarks make it clear that New Delhi refuses to accord any weight to such unauthorised engagements, underscoring India's principled stand that any meaningful dialogue must be official and state-sanctioned.
