Despite the total suspension of formal diplomatic relations, representatives from India and Pakistan have convened for at least four unofficial meetings since their military confrontation in May 2025.
These back-channel engagements, involving strategic experts, parliamentarians, and former diplomats, began just two months after the conclusion of Operation Sindoor, reports Hindustan Times.
Evolution of post-conflict talks
The initial meeting, a Track 1.5 dialogue held in London in July 2025, was facilitated by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). While the Pakistani delegation included active military personnel, India chose not to send any serving officials to this session.
Observers described this first encounter as “intense,” though subsequent interactions reportedly became more “mellowed and measured.”
Following the London talks, another Track 1.5 session took place in Muscat, Oman, in October 2025, again under the auspices of the IISS. This organisation, alongside the Near East South Asia Center (NESA) of the US National Defense University, has a history of hosting the Southern Asia Security Conference.
In previous years, India’s participation in such regional forums has included the joint secretary responsible for the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran desk within the Ministry of External Affairs.
Think tanks facilitate regional engagements
In December 2025, participants met in Thailand for “The Chao Track” – a Track 2 initiative previously known as the Chaophraya Dialogue. This specific forum is managed by think tanks located in New Delhi and Islamabad.
Most recently, in February 2026, a UK-based think tank facilitated a Track 2 meeting in Doha, Qatar.
While there are reports of a Canadian think tank also attempting to facilitate dialogue, the number of active Track 2 channels has reportedly dwindled from approximately 20 to about a dozen.
These various meetings have been conducted with strict confidentiality due to the severe deterioration of bilateral ties.
Maintaining communication during record-low ties
Formal contact between the two nations remains virtually non-existent following the four-day conflict from 7-10 May 2025, which saw both sides exchange drone and missile strikes.
India initiated Operation Sindoor as a retaliatory measure for a terror attack in Pahalgam conducted by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy for the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
In the aftermath, India implemented harsh diplomatic and economic measures, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.
Given this climate, sources suggest that these unofficial channels serve a vital role by allowing both nations to “gauge the temperature” and ensure a basic line of communication remains open. Indian officials have not provided any comment regarding these recent developments.
