India, Pakistan revive Track II diplomacy: report

The government of Narendra Modi is reluctant to engage with Pakistan officially but recently ‘agreed to reviving the Track II diplomacy process with Islamabad’, Times of India reported Tuesday.The newspaper reported: “The original Track II initiative, Neemrana Dialogue, received a fresh start with a high-powered delegation of former Indian diplomats, military veterans and academics travelling to Pakistan to discuss ways to improve India-Pak relationship”.The Indian delegation was headed by former external affairs secretary and Pakistan expert Vivek Katju. J S Rajput, former NCERT head, was also part of the delegation. The talks took place from April 28 to 30. Pakistan was represented by former foreign secretary Inam ul Haque and Ishrat Hussain among others.‘Neemrana is also a non-governmental dialogue but it is different from others in that both foreign ministries have in the past associated themselves with it,’ it further added.Quoting sources, the report said India will wait to see the outcome of the upcoming elections in Pakistan before taking any call on official talks with Islamabad. ‘To many though the revival of Neemrana would suggest that the policy of not having any engagement with Pakistan has run its course.’