Confirming reports of a ‘secret meeting’ between the National Security Advisers of India and Pakistan, the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday, 11 January, said that the meeting was held on 26 December in Bangkok.

According to The Hindu, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that the meet was “part of a mechanism to hold Pakistan responsible for the terrorism emanating from its land”.

On 1 January, a senior Pakistani official had said that the “secret” meeting was held in Thailand, where the tone and tenor of India's NSA Ajit Doval was "friendly and positive".

An official with Pakistan's national security division, on condition of anonymity, said the meeting between Pakistan's NSA retired Lt Gen Nasser Khan Janjua and Doval took place on 27 December in Thailand, The Dawn reported.

"The meeting was good. Doval's tone and tenor was friendly and positive," the official disclosed. The official maintained that he was briefed about the Indo-Pak meeting.

He was told that the meeting was "useful". The report also quoted the official as saying that the interaction might help in restarting some sort of engagement at the diplomatic level as well.