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Sonia for focus on diplomatic option

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI MAY 22 . The Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, today stressed the need to focus on the diplomatic option, before plumping for drastic action against Pakistan. "Much more needs to be done on the diplomatic front. We would like greater efforts to get the international community to understand the problems that we are facing,'' Ms. Gandhi told newspersons at her party office.

She said the assassination of the Hurriyat leader, Abdul Gani Lone, and the situation on the border were indicators of the kind of situation the country faced. "The situation is indeed very fragile. All the signals are there but we must never shut the door on the diplomatic option," she said.

Having extended broad support to the NDA Government on the issue, Ms. Gandhi, however, did not specify what definite measures she wanted the Government to take. "We in the Congress and other Opposition parties do not have the full details or information about the situation. Therefore it is for them to decide'' she said.

The Congress president said Lone's assassination showed that certain forces were constantly trying to disrupt peace. She was, however, mildly critical of the Government's handling of the internal situation in Jammu & Kashmir. "Not enough has been done by the Government. There is need to talk to different groups and take them into confidence," she said.

The mild tone of her criticism reflects the fine balancing act that the Congress is being asked to perform just days ahead of the all-important AICC session on Friday. Reports indicate that similar care was taken by the CWC at its meeting today to modulate the resolutions on the political, economic and international situation.

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