The Chao Track is a Track II dialogue process between India and Pakistan, established after the 9/11 Mumbai attacks 2008. Until December 2017, the process was conducted under the Chaophraya Dialogue. It was resumed in August 2018 under the banner of The Chao Track, with a broader focus on regional stability in South Asia. The Chao Track brings together senior former officials, including Ambassadors, Foreign Secretaries, Intelligence Chiefs, top-ranking Armed Forces members, academics, journalists, and political leaders from both countries, in collaboration with the Jinnah Institute in Islamabad. With over 36 rounds of dialogue held so far, this locally initiated and directed initiative provides unique access to decision-making institutions in New Delhi and Islamabad. The Chao Track Dialogue covers a wide range of security and political issues, both bilateral and regional, and operates through distinct Strategic and Military dialogue Policy Round-tables. Under the Chao Track banner, CSDR hosts regular discussions in the form of closed-door policy round-tables and open-door webinars, involving journalists, academics, defense experts, and government officials, to engage with contemporary developments in international security. The inputs from these events influence the design of subsequent Strategic and Military dialogues between India and Pakistan and keep both sides informed about internal perceptions of contemporary developments in the bilateral relationship.
Splitting the Ladder: New Escalation Dynamics between India and Pakistan
This paper examines India-Pakistan escalation dynamics pre- and post-nuclearization (1998). It introduces