Good Ties With India Not Possible Until Kashmir Is Resolved: New Pak PM

HT Daily News Wrap

AAP dissolved its Himachal Pradesh unit which has been hit by a string of defections, Pakistan’s new PM Shehbaz Sharif offered an olive branch to India, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia could use chemical weapons and other top news in this bulletin.
India’s monthly purchase of Russian energy is less than Europe’s in an afternoon, foreign minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday at a press briefing for the crucial 2+2 dialogue in the United States amid the ongoing debate over the purchase of oil from Russia as the Ukraine war enters day 48. “If you’re looking at (India’s) energy purchases from Russia, I’d suggest your attention should be on Europe. We buy some energy necessary for our energy security. But I suspect, looking at figures, our purchases for the month would be less than what Europe does in an afternoon.” The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday dissolved its Himachal Pradesh unit which has been hit by a string of defections. The party’s election in-charge for the state, Satyendar Jain, made the announcement on Monday. “Himachal Pradesh’s Aam Aadmi Party state working committee has been dissolved. The new state working committee will be reorganized soon,” he tweeted. The party also issued a press note making the announcement. Pakistan’s new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered an olive branch to India on Monday, saying the resolution of the Kashmir issue will allow the two sides to focus on shared problems such as poverty, though Prime Minister Narendra Modi linked any engagement to the elimination of terror. Sharif, elected the country’s 23rd premier during a parliamentary vote boycotted by more than 100 MPs from former prime minister Imran Khan’s party, also trotted out the standard Pakistani position of raising the Kashmir issue at international forums and offering diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiris. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday warned that Russia could use chemical weapons in the war-hit country and called on the West to impose tougher sanctions to deter Moscow from such acts. Zelenskyy’s warning came amid unconfirmed reports suggesting chemical weapons were used in the southern Ukrainian port of Mariupol. Actor Shahid Kapoor-led drama Jersey has been postponed and will now open in cinemas on April 22. Jersey was set to hit the theatres on April 14 along with the much-awaited actioner KGF: Chapter 2. Vijay and Pooja Hegde starrer Beast will also hit the screens on April 13. Directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri, the film is a Hindi remake of the 2019 Telugu blockbuster of the same name. Jersey is presented by Allu Arvind and produced by Dil Raju, S Naga Vamsi and Gill. It also stars Mrunal Thakur and Pankaj Kapur. Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has made a bold claim and rated current skipper Babar Azam ahead of a long list of Pakistan greats. Latif, the former Pakistan captain, during his 11-year-long international career, has played with some of the greatest cricketers ever produced by the country, but feels that in terms of greatness Babar trumps them all, barring one batter.