New Delhi, April 24 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's office Sunday denied media reports that he had contacted Pakistan Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani through an unofficial envoy before the Mohali meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani.

The prime minister's media adviser, Harish Khare, termed the reports as false.

"We have seen media reports quoting a British newspaper saying that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh contacted Pakistan Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani before the Mohali meeting between the two prime ministers. The report is false," Khare said in a statement.

London-based The Times had reported that Manmohan Singh had opened secret talks with the head of Pakistan's military to build on the cricket-inspired diplomatic thaw between the two countries.

It said Manmohan Singh appointed an unofficial envoy about 10 months ago to make contact with Kayani, who exercises de facto control over the country's foreign policy.

The newspaper said backchannel talks had encouraged Western capitals to believe that it would help the two countries put the bilateral process back on track.

Gilani had visited Mohali last month at the invitation of Manmohan Singh to watch the March 30 World Cup cricket semifinal match between India and Pakistan. He had expressed happiness at the resumption of dialogue between the countries, which was affected in the wake of the Mumbai terror attack of 2008.