Pakistan PM Sharif reaffirms his willingness to talk with India on all issues
Islamabad, Jun 20 (PTI): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Friday reaffirmed Pakistan's willingness to talk with India on all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, the Indus Water Treaty, trade and counter-terrorism.
He conveyed this during a telephonic conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to a statement posted by the state-run Pakistan Television on X.
During their warm and cordial conversation, the Prime Minister conveyed his best wishes to US President Donald Trump, it said. He praised the President for his bold leadership and appreciated Secretary Rubio's proactive diplomacy that "played a pivotal role in helping Pakistan and India to arrive at a ceasefire understanding".
Sharif said that President Trump's positive statements about Pakistan are most encouraging for a durable peace in South Asia, which can only be made possible by initiating meaningful dialogue between Pakistan and India.
“In this context, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s willingness for talks with India on all outstanding issues, including Jammu & Kashmir, the Indus Water Treaty, trade and counter-terrorism,” the state-run PTV said.
India has made it clear that it will only have a dialogue with Pakistan on the return of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the issue of terrorism.
The situation in the Middle East, particularly the Iran-Israel crisis, was also discussed, where the Prime Minister emphasized the need to find a peaceful resolution to this grave crisis, through dialogue and diplomacy.
He said Pakistan is ready to play a constructive role in any effort for peace in the current situation, which is deeply worrying, not only for the region but for the entire world.
While recalling President Trump's focus on trade, Sharif said Pakistan and the US need to work together to advance mutually beneficial cooperation across a wide range of areas, including trade, investment, energy, mining, rare earth metals, and IT.
On security and counter-terrorism, the Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan's resolve to deal with the menace of terrorism from the entire country, particularly the threat from militant groups.
Rubio appreciated Pakistan's counter-terrorism efforts and assured Pakistan of full cooperation by the United States in countering all such threats, the channel said.
He also appreciated Pakistan's resolve to uphold the ceasefire understanding with India, as well as its sustained efforts for peace in the region.
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Delhi HC asks Jaideep Sengar to surrender in Unnao custodial death case
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Friday asked Jaideep Sengar, brother of Unnao rape case convict Kuldeep Sengar, to surrender before jail authorities in connection with his conviction in the custodial death case of the survivor's father.
A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja was hearing a plea by the convict for further extension of interim bail upon suspension of the 10-year sentence.
It observed that the interim bail granted to Jaideep Sengar in July 2024 was last extended in April 2025 and since then, in spite of five dates, no order of any further extension or suspension of his sentence has been passed by the court.
As the senior counsel for Jaideep Sengar urged the bench to extend the period of his release on account of his health, the bench said, "You surrender and then we will see."
"Although there is no extension of interim suspension of sentence granted, we find he has still not surrendered. Before we proceed to consider his application for further extension of suspension of sentence, we require the appellant to first surrender," the bench ordered.
The senior counsel for Jaideep Sengar assured the court that he would surrender by Saturday.
The court listed the matter for hearing next week.
Jaideep Sengar, 50, sought the bail extension on the grounds that he is suffering from oral cancer.
The Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) counsel had earlier said it was not a fit case for extension of interim bail, and the prescription given by Jaideep Sengar in support of his plea was fabricated.
In his application, Jaideep Sengar said he was suffering from stage IV oral cancer, a life-threatening condition, and had developed clinical signs of recurrence.
The condition, the plea said, required continuous and specialised medical care.
The plea also informed that Jaideep Sengar has spent about four years in custody.
The high court had granted interim bail to Jaideep Sengar on July 3, 2024, for two months on medical grounds.
Kuldeep Sengar was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of his life on December 20, 2019, for raping the minor in 2017.
On March 13, 2020, Kuldeep Sengar, along with Jaideep Sengar, was sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment by the trial court, which also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh, in the custodial death case of the rape survivor's father.
The survivor's father was arrested, allegedly at the behest of the accused, under the Arms Act and died in custody on April 9, 2018, owing to police brutality.
The trial court said no leniency could be shown for killing a family's sole breadwinner.
