'Nothing official, they speak for themselves': India dismisses reports of Track 1.5 talks with Pakistan

India on Monday distanced itself from reports of a recent India-Pakistan dialogue in Colombo.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the meetings were private events with no official involvement of the Government of India.

Responding to reports of Track 2 and Track 1.5 engagements between Indian and Pakistani participants on the sidelines of a security conference in Sri Lanka, Misri said New Delhi did not attach any significance to such interactions.

"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," Misri said while speaking to news agency ANI.

"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," he added.

His remarks came amid reports suggesting that Indian and Pakistani representatives met in Colombo during the International Institute for Strategic Studies' (IISS) annual South Asia Dialogue.

Pakistan-based newspaper The Express Tribune reported that serving officials from both countries participated in what it described as a Track 1.5 dialogue, alongside former diplomats, retired military officers and politicians.

Track 1 refers to official government-to-government engagement, while Track 2 involves unofficial people-to-people exchanges. Track 1.5 typically includes a mix of serving and non-serving participants.

However, Misri rejected any suggestion of official Indian participation.

"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," he said.

The Foreign Secretary said Indians attending such forums do so in their personal capacities.

"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. They do not in any way; they cannot in any way represent the view of the government of India," he said.

According to media reports, participants from the Indian side included former BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav, former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane, and former diplomat Ruchi Ghanashyam.

The reported Pakistani participants included serving diplomat Sajjad Haider Khan, former senator Sherry Rehman, and retired Major General Isfandiyar Ali Khan Pataudi.

Ram Madhav, who was cited in media reports, dismissed descriptions of the engagement as Track 2 diplomacy. "Totally wrong portrayal. It was not any track 2 dialogue. It was the IISS annual South Asia Dialogue, which was attended by scholars from India, Sri Lanka, the US, the UK, Afghanistan, and Pakistan."

"Even officials attended this annual dialogue in d past. No track 2 is held with so many countries. I did not attend d 2-day dialogue. I was invited to speak at one session, which I did n left. Complete spin to a non-story."

India and Pakistan have had no formal bilateral dialogue since ties deteriorated following New Delhi's decision to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019.

Relations worsened further after the Pahalgam attack, with direct trade and diplomatic exchanges remaining suspended. India has also kept the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance since the attack.

Making New Delhi's position clear, Misri said, "We really take no cognizance of these events. They really don't hold much value, as far as we are concerned."