Two Indian activists were invited to scrapped security dialogue in Pakistan

Two Indian activists were invited to a security dialogue in Pakistan that was called off after the visas of most foreign delegates were cancelled by authorities, the organiser of the event said on Sunday.Besides Indians, Chinese and Afghan activists were also invited to the event. (Reuters)The Pakistan Security Dialogue 2026, scheduled for September 20-21, was cancelled by its organiser, the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), on Saturday after the visas of foreign delegates were cancelled and the Serena Hotel in Islamabad, the venue for the event, scrapped all bookings.In a statement issued on Sunday to clarify the cancellation of the event, PIPS noted that two Indian activists, Om Parkash Shah and Sudheendra Kulkarni, had been invited to participate in the dialogue. Both were associated with efforts to promote peace and dialogue between India and Pakistan and had engaged in virtual and in-person interactions with Pakistani former diplomats, military officials and academics in the past, it said.“The theme of the dialogue was peace, and the event was scheduled around the International Day of Peace. PIPS followed the prescribed procedures for their participation and formally communicated with the Secretary Interior, Secretary Foreign Affairs and other relevant authorities,” the statement said.As the process didn’t move forward, PIPS subsequently invited one of the Indian participants to join the dialogue virtually. “His name was subsequently removed from the programme after PIPS received a communication from an individual identifying himself as an official of the Ministry of Defence, requesting that Indian names be removed from the agenda,” the statement said.Since no Indian participant attended or participated in the dialogue, either in-person or online, the presence of Indian delegates “cannot be cited as a reason for the cancellation of the event”, PIPS said.PIPS is a well-known independent think tank run by Muhammad Amir Rana, and it came to prominence with its research on terrorism, extremism, and internal and regional security.Several speculative reports in sections of the Pakistani media in recent days had raised questions about the dialogue, especially the possible participation of Indian delegates at a time when relations between the two countries remain fraught. These reports also claimed the foreign delegates were advised to seek tourist visas, but PIPS rejected this and said officials of Pakistan’s foreign ministry were involved in facilitating and processing visa-related matters.“Participants submitted their applications along with invitations to the conference, and visa counsellors also contacted PIPS for verification where required,” the statement said.Besides Indians, Chinese and Afghan activists were also invited to the event.PIPS also dismissed speculation about funding for the event and said the sponsors and supporting organisations included the European Union, the Norwegian embassy and the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO).The think tank said it remains committed to the principle that peace and dialogue are essential to address political and security challenges, both within Pakistan and in the region. “PIPS believes that disputes between India and Pakistan should ultimately be addressed through dialogue and diplomatic engagement,” the statement said.PIPS noted that Lt Gen (retired) Mazhar Jamil, adviser to Pakistan’s National Command Authority and a former head of the Strategic Plans Division (SPD), recently highlighted the importance of maintaining diplomatic space and observed at a public event that the “shrinking space for diplomacy” raises risks in South Asia.There have been several Track 1.5 and Track 2 events involving Indian and Pakistani experts, including politicians and former diplomats and military officials, over the past year but most have been held in third countries such as the UK, Bahrain, Oman and Sri Lanka.