Indians and Pakistanis, and probably the rest of the world, were in for a surprise on Sunday when news broke of a secret meeting between National Security Advisors of India and Pakistan in Bangkok.
The meeting was held days after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the climate change summit in Paris.
NSAs Ajit Doval and Nasir Janjua, along with the respective foreign secretaries, talked for about four hours in the Thailand capital, including on the heated issue of Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier this year, NSA-levels talks between the neighbouring countries scheduled to be held in New Delhi in August had been called off at the last minute, after a political tussle between Indian External Affairs Minister and Pakistan NSA Sartaj Aziz over the latter's insistence on meeting Hurriyat leaders.
The involvement of Kashmiri separatist leaders in the dialogue process was unacceptable to India, with Swaraj citing the Simla Agreement that does not allow for a third party.
This may have precisely been the reason behind the hushed-up meeting on Sunday taking place hundreds of kilometers away from Delhi and Islamabad, and Kashmir.
The meeting in Bangkok eliminated the issue of Pakistani officials meeting with Hurriyat leaders, The Hindu reported citing sources.
According to The Dawn, the meeting was earlier planned to be held in Singapore.
The meeting between Doval and the newly-appointed Janjua, a retired Lt Gen, is also being seen as an indication that the Pakistan military wants to control the India-Pakistan talks, the newspaper reported.
Another hurdle for the August NSA talks was the involvement of Jammu and Kashmir in the discussion, which India had rejected.
However, India has apparently changed its stance, putting Kashmir back on the table and even discussing 'tranquility on the Line of Control'.
After over a year of hostilities, the talks have paved the way for more cordial relations just ahead of Sushma Swaraj's visit to Islamabad this week for the 'Heart of Asia' donor conference on Afghanistan.
