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Sonia seeks Clinton's help in dealing with terrorism

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi today sought US President Bill Clinton's help to end Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Kashmir and urged him to use his good offices to prevent the killings in Kashmir.

Congress spokesman Ajit Jogi said Sonia was accompanied by senior party leaders Dr Manmohan Singh, Madharao Scindia and Pranab Mukherjee when she met Clinton.

"In her meeting with President Clinton Madame Sonia Gandhi urged him to use his influence with Pakistan to refrain it from supporting militancy in Kashmir and elsewhere on India soil," Jogi said.

He indicated that the party chief also explained her stance on important issues like nuclear non-proliferation and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

Senior Congress leaders said Clinton gave a patient hearing to the delegation.

It is understood that Clinton assured the Congress chief and her colleagues that he would raise the issue of cross-border terrorism with Pakistan as he had underscored during his press conference in Hyderabad House recently.

He reiterated to the Indian side that he shared India's concern on global terrorism and how it adversely affected development in civilised societies.

The US president is also learnt to have emphasised that while he understood the Indian point of view on CTBT and non-proliferation issues, the world would become a better place if all countries agreed to give up nuclear arms.

According to senior Congress functionaries, Sonia briefly dwelt on the Beijing-Islamabad nexus on clandestine nuclear and missile co-operation, making it clear that as long as that continued, India was fully justified in "looking after its own security concerns."

CLINTON VISITS INDIA: The complete coverage

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