‘No Govt Involvement, Holds No Value’: Foreign Secy Rubbishes Reports Of Track II Diplomacy With Pakistan
‘No Govt Involvement, Holds No Value’: Foreign Secy Rubbishes Reports Of Track II Diplomacy With Pakistan Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: June 29, 2026
‘No Govt Involvement, Holds No Value’: Foreign Secy Rubbishes Reports Of Track II Diplomacy With Pakistan Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: June 29, 2026, 14:23 IST "They do not in any way, they cannot in any way represent the view of the government of India. We really take no cognisance of these events," says Misri Rapid Read Foreign secretary Vikram Misri | PTI Image Amid reports of Track II diplomacy between India and Pakistan, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said it had “no official participation and holds no value". The government has clearly stated that it has not authorised or backed any official Track II engagement with Pakistan. New Delhi is firm on its position regarding terrorism and the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, reiterating that unofficial individual interactions do not represent a policy shift. “There is nothing official about them as far as we are concerned. 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," said Misri.
“They really don’t hold much value, as far as we are concerned. Dozens of these kinds of events take place in dozens of places around the world on a whole variety of subjects," he said, adding, “There’s nothing new, nothing special about these events. As far as we are concerned, these are private events organised by private parties," he said." “Anybody from India who is participating in these events, whether it is retired diplomats, retired military officials, members of civil society, when they participate in such events, they speak for themselves and they represent their own point of view," he said. “They do not in any way, they cannot 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," he said. Track II diplomacy refers to informal, unofficial, and non-governmental dialogues designed to resolve conflicts and build trust between hostile groups.
It engages influential citizens, academics, retired officials, and NGO workers, allowing parties to explore creative solutions without the constraints of official state protocols. While high-ranking government officials conduct official talks (“Track I"), Track II involves policy experts, retired military personnel, scholars, and religious leaders. These engagements frequently take the form of problem-solving workshops, academic conferences, or facilitated retreats. The objective is not to sign binding treaties, but to analyse conflict dynamics, lower tensions, and test out policy ideas that might eventually feed into official negotiations. WHAT REPORTS CLAIM Reports indicate that at least four rounds of back-channel interactions took place across international venues, including Doha, Bangkok, and London, involving high-profile retired figures. They highlighted a prominent meeting on the sidelines of an International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) conference in Colombo. The reports named former Army Chief General M.M. Naravane and BJP leader Ram Madhav as participants interacting with Pakistani delegates. Madhav has strongly rejected the characterisation of the Colombo event as a “Track II dialogue," clarifying it was a multilateral regional conference and calling the reports a “complete spin".
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