Al Jazeera: Four India-Pakistan Back-Channel Meetings Held Since Ceasefire — Muscat, Doha, Bangkok, London

On May 23, 2026, Al Jazeera published an investigative report revealing that India and Pakistan have quietly held approximately four back-channel meetings since the May 10, 2025 ceasefire — in Muscat, Doha, Bangkok/Thailand, and London — involving former officials, retired generals, intelligence figures, and parliamentarians from both sides in Track 1.5 and Track 2 formats. Former Pakistani diplomat Jauhar Saleem confirmed the meetings 'helped carry forward informal dialogue on a range of issues with a view to preventing major misunderstandings.' Pakistan's Foreign Ministry declined to confirm, with a spokesperson saying: 'If I was to comment, there would be no back channel.' The reporting documents a widening debate in India's strategic ecosystem about engaging Pakistan: the RSS General Secretary's May 12 public dialogue overture has gone unanswered by the BJP government, but its issuance signals pressure from India's right-leaning civil society for engagement. The Al Jazeera piece also noted that India's leverage in Washington has diminished while Pakistan has 'expertly managed to re-enter America's good graces,' giving New Delhi an incentive to engage quietly even as official positions remain hardened. Indian Army Chief Dwivedi's 'geography or history' warning (May 16) illustrates the simultaneous official hard line. The four back-channel meetings represent the most concrete evidence of India-Pakistan informal contact since the May 10 ceasefire.