Moeed Yusuf initially appeared to confirm that the two countries had been making efforts behind the scenes at a diplomatic level. Later in a tweet, he, however, insisted that this was being handled by the DGMO and not him. Watch: India-Pak ceasefire: The Ajit Doval factor & Islamabad’s reactionThe joint statement is the first outcome of these conversations that included at least one face-to-face meeting in a third country, the person cited above said. Officials said Thursday’s joint statement could be the first of the many steps that the two countries may take over the next few months to normalise relations, one step at a time. “I found it unusual,” said a counter-terror official who wasn’t in the loop on the secret talks.

Source: Hindustan Times February 25, 2021 09:05 UTC