Track II team holds talks in Pakistan

• A group of Indian experts visited Pakistan to discuss all aspects of bilateral ties and revive the Track II diplomacy process with Islamabad, amid the chill in the relationship after a number of terror attacks in India by Pakistan-based outfits.
• The original Track II initiative, Neemrana Dialogue, received a fresh start with the visit
• The Indian side was led by former Foreign Ministry Secretary Vivek Katju, while the Pakistan side was led by former Foreign Secretary Inamul Haque.
• The interactions took place between April 28 and 30 in Islamabad.
• The two sides discussed all aspects of bilateral relations and agreed that all issuesbetween the two countriesshould be resolved through talks.

• Track II diplomacy or "backchannel diplomacy" is the practice of "non-governmental, informal and unofficial contacts and activities between private citizens or groups of individuals, sometimes called 'non-state actors'".
• It contrasts with track I diplomacy, which can be defined as official, governmental diplomacy that occur inside official government channels. 
• However, track two diplomacy is not a substitute for track one diplomacy. Rather, it is there to assist official actors to manage and resolve conflicts by exploring possible solutions derived from the public view and without the requirements of formal negotiation or bargaining for advantage.
• In addition, the term track 1.5 diplomacy is used by some analysts to define a situation where official and non-official actors cooperate in conflict resolution.