New Delhi has firmly distanced itself from a recent unofficial backchannel meeting between former Indian and Pakistani diplomats and military veterans in Colombo, Sri Lanka, declaring that the interaction “holds no value.” Government sources have strongly emphasized that the Track-II dialogue, which took place at a local hotel alongside a regional security conference, must not be misconstrued as an official diplomatic engagement. Revisiting India’s long-standing foreign policy blueprint, authorities reiterated that formal bilateral discussions remain entirely frozen, emphasizing that “terrorism and talks cannot go together.” While the backdoor assembly of former generals and envoys reportedly focused on regional stability, risk reduction, and pressing issues like water-sharing, New Delhi remains resolute that any real diplomatic breakthrough is contingent on Islamabad taking concrete action against cross-border terrorism.
