Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju pays tribute to BSF Head Constable Prem Sagar. Mukesh Aggarwal

Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 2The India-Pakistan narrative that has seen its fair share of highs and lows over the past year-and-a-half seems to have hit a dead end following the mutilation of bodies of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistan Army. Not only that, the incident has pushed the neighbours to the brink of limited war.Since the January 2016 Pathankot attacks, both nations have refused talking to each other. But the refusal has only aggravated problems as both countries share a long border.The Kashmir crisis continues to hog the limelight with New Delhi sticking to its stand that it is a bilateral issue while Islamabad is trying its best to raise it at various international fora. The statement of the Turkish President, who visited India only yesterday, and today’s message from the state-run Chinese media appear to be a warning enough that Kashmir is getting an international audience. While Turkey pitched for a multi-lateral dialogue, China has pitched itself as a mediator.Industrialist Sajjan Jindal’s recent visit was seen by many as a positive sign and a possibility that the India-Pakistan ties might see a thaw via back-channel diplomacy. But the mutilation incident has brought things back to square one. These events also highlight the ongoing conflict in Pakistan between the Rawalpindi barracks and the government of Nawaz Sharif.PM Narendra Modi, in the wake of a thumping victory in Uttar Pradesh, is in a stronger position to dictate India’s Pakistan policy. The Opposition parties, however, have dubbed this government having a “no Pak policy” or a “confused Pak policy”.At present, all eyes are on a possible meeting between Modi and Sharif on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meet in Astana in June. But if tensions continue to simmer, the possibility will continue to diminish.