Generals, Envoys, Lanka Hotel: Track-II Meet That India Says 'Holds No Value'

Former senior military officers, diplomats and political figures from India and Pakistan met in Colombo this week for an unofficial Track II dialogue held alongside a regional security conference, sources familiar with the development told NDTV. The discussions were hosted on the sidelines of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) conference, attended by delegates from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, the UK and other countries.

Track II dialogue is an informal method of diplomacy that involves non-state actors like academics, retired officials, and civil society leaders. It runs parallel to official government-to-government negotiations, allowing participants to explore policy options and ease tensions without political constraints.

The India-Pakistan interaction took place over nearly two days in separate sessions at a hotel in Colombo. India was represented by former Army chief General MM Naravane, India Foundation president and former BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav, and former diplomat Ruchi Ghanashyam. Pakistan's delegation included Foreign Ministry Director General (South Asia and SAARC) Sajjad Haider Khan, former ambassador to the US Sherry Rehman and retired Major General Isfandiyar Ali Khan Pataudi.

Sources said the conversations focused on issues such as cross-border terrorism, water-sharing, improving communication during periods of heightened tensions and exploring ways to reduce the risk of future military escalation. The talks, however, did not result in any substantive breakthrough.

The Colombo meeting is part of a series of informal engagements that have taken place after the military confrontation between India and Pakistan in May 2025, which followed India's Operation Sindoor targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack.

US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, S Paul Kapur, who was in Sri Lanka during the conference, attended a dinner hosted for participants. Some members of both the Indian and Pakistani delegations were also present.

'Not Official Talks'

Government sources underlined that the Track-II interaction should not be interpreted as an official dialogue. They reiterated New Delhi's position that there is no formal engagement with Pakistan and that "terrorism and talks cannot go together."

Sources also rejected suggestions that the Colombo discussions qualified as a Track-1.5 initiative. While Pakistan was represented by a serving Foreign Ministry official, there were no serving representatives from the Indian government at the meeting, they noted.

Responding to reports of the Colombo meeting, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the government does not view such Track-2 engagements as official and attaches little significance to them.

"I have seen the reports. I am aware of them," Misri said. "Dozens of these kinds of events take place in dozens of places around the world on a whole variety of subjects. So there is nothing new, nothing special about these events."

He said these were "private events organised by private parties" and stressed that "there is nothing official about them as far as we are concerned".

"As far as the Government of India is concerned, there is no official participation, no official support or involvement in these visits," the foreign secretary said, adding that while he could not speak for the Government of Pakistan, India's position was clear.

He said retired diplomats, former military officers and members of civil society who participate in such meetings are "all distinguished individuals in their own right", but 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."

Misri also made clear the government's assessment of such engagements, saying, "We really take no cognisance of these events. They really don't hold much value as far as we are concerned."

The engagement comes weeks after senior RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale said India should remain open to dialogue without compromising its security interests. General Naravane has also publicly backed the importance of Track-II diplomacy and other people-to-people exchanges as channels of engagement, even as official ties between New Delhi and Islamabad remain frozen.