India rejects Track 2 talks with Pakistan, Misri says events hold no value
Synopsis
India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has flatly dismissed reports of Track 2 engagement with Pakistan at a Colombo security conference, saying such private events carry no official weight. BJP's Ram Madhav also denied the framing, calling it a spin on a routine multilateral forum. New Delhi's swift rebuttal signals it will not allow informal meetings to be read as a diplomatic thaw.
Key Takeaways
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Monday rejected reports of Track 2 talks between India and Pakistan .
Misri stated that private events without official participation ‘don’t hold much value’ for the Government of India .
Reports had linked the talks to a sideline meeting at an IISS annual South Asia Dialogue in Colombo .
BJP leader Ram Madhav denied the Track 2 characterisation, calling it a ‘complete spin to a non-story.’ Former Army Chief General M M Naravane was also named in the original reports, which the government distanced itself from.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Monday firmly dismissed reports of any Track 2 dialogue between India and Pakistan, stating that private events organised without official participation or government backing carry no weight as far as New Delhi is concerned. His remarks came in direct response to media reports about an informal engagement on the sidelines of a security conference in Colombo.
What Misri Said
Addressing the reports, Misri said he was aware of them but stressed that such gatherings are routine and carry no special significance. “Dozens of these kinds of events take place in dozens of places around the world on a whole variety of subjects. So, there’s nothing new, nothing special about these events,” he said.
He was categorical that any Indian nationals attending such forums — whether retired diplomats, retired military officials, or civil society members — speak strictly in a personal capacity. “They do not in any way, they cannot in any way represent the view of the Government of India,” Misri stated. “We really take no cognisance of these events. They really don’t hold much value, as far as we are concerned.”
The Colombo Conference Backdrop
The clarification followed reports that a meeting involving delegations from India and Pakistan had taken place on the sidelines of a security conference organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in Colombo. Reports claimed that former Army Chief General M M Naravane and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ram Madhav were among those who attended.
Notably, the conference in question was the IISS annual South Asia Dialogue — a multilateral forum that has historically drawn participants from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Afghanistan, among others.
Ram Madhav Pushes Back
Ram Madhav categorically rejected the characterisation of the event as a Track 2 dialogue, calling media reports a “totally wrong portrayal” and a “complete spin to a non-story.” In a post on X, Madhav clarified that he was invited to speak at a single session and departed after doing so, and did not attend the full two-day dialogue. He also pointed out that officials had attended the same annual forum in previous years, and that a meeting with so many participating countries cannot be classified as a bilateral Track 2 engagement.
India’s Broader Position
Misri underlined that the Government of India extends no official participation, support, or involvement to such visits. While he declined to speak on behalf of Islamabad, he made clear that New Delhi’s position leaves no ambiguity. This comes amid continued diplomatic strain between the two neighbours, with formal channels remaining largely frozen. The government’s swift and pointed rebuttal signals that it is keen to prevent any unofficial interactions from being read as a softening of its stance toward Pakistan.
Point of View
Even through unofficial channels. The fact that a senior BJP figure like Ram Madhav was named in the reports made the rebuttal politically necessary, not just diplomatically routine. India’s posture toward Pakistan remains defined by the absence of formal engagement, and any deviation — real or perceived — is now treated as a message-management problem. The speed of this response tells you how sensitive the optics of India-Pakistan proximity remain in the current political climate.
NationPress
29 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Track 2 talks between India and Pakistan?
Track 2 dialogue refers to informal, unofficial engagement between non-governmental actors — such as retired diplomats, academics, or civil society figures — from two countries, often aimed at building understanding outside formal diplomatic channels. India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has clarified that such events, when held without official participation or government backing, carry no weight for New Delhi.
Why did India dismiss the Track 2 dialogue reports?
India dismissed the reports because the events in question were organised by private parties without any official government participation or endorsement. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated that individuals attending such forums speak for themselves and cannot represent the Government of India’s position.
What was the IISS Colombo conference where the meeting reportedly took place?
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) hosts an annual South Asia Dialogue in Colombo, attended by scholars and analysts from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the US, the UK, and Afghanistan. BJP leader Ram Madhav clarified it was this multilateral forum — not a bilateral Track 2 meeting — that he briefly attended to speak at one session.
What did Ram Madhav say about his participation?
Ram Madhav called the reports a ‘totally wrong portrayal’ and a ‘complete spin to a non-story.’ He said he was invited to speak at one session of the two-day dialogue and left after doing so, and stressed that the forum involved participants from multiple countries, making it impossible to classify as a Track 2 India-Pakistan dialogue.
Who else was named in the Track 2 dialogue reports?
Media reports named former Army Chief General M M Naravane alongside Ram Madhav as among the retired military officials, politicians, and diplomats who reportedly participated in the meeting on the sidelines of the IISS South Asia Dialogue in Colombo.
