A month after Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee extended ‘‘the hand of friendship’’ to Islamabad from the Valley, Congress president Sonia Gandhi slammed the BJP-led NDA Government for its Pakistan policy terming it as ‘‘lacking clarity, consistency and conviction.’’ At the fifth conclave of the Congress Chief Ministers here on the banks of the picturesque Dal Lake at the heavily guarded Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre, Sonia said the Centre’s stand on Pakistan ‘‘vacillated from one extreme to other.’’ While the broad focus of her speech was aimed at chalking out the electoral strategy for the forthcoming Assembly polls, the Congress president used the opportunity to hit out at Government’s blow hot blow cold policy on Islamabad. But she made it clear that her party would continue supporting the Centre on matters relating to national security and cross-border terrorism in J-K. ‘‘In spite of these glaring contradictions, we have extended our sustained support to Centre on matters of national security, cross-border terrorism and India-Pakistan relations,’’ she said. Asserting that the Congress believed in keeping the doors of diplomacy and windows of dialogue with Pakistan open, Sonia termed recent overtures to Pakistan as vindication of her party’s principled stand. ‘‘We were attacked bitterly for this position by the BJP during all recent Assembly election campaigns,’’ she said. Touching on the economic condition of the state, Sonia said: ‘‘I Iaid out our policy on J-K which was highlighted in our manifesto and formed part of the joint programme of action we drew up with the PDP. We are determined to be catalysts for this transformation,’’ she added. Admitting that unemployment is of concern, she said youth of the state need jobs and her party is sensitive to the gravity of the problem. ‘‘I had requested our CMs to explore how seats in professional educational institutions can be offered to J-K youth and to children of migrants from the state. All our CMs have made offers and I wish to make mention of Punjab, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and MP,’’ Sonia said. Assuring the people about the implementation of the joint programme of action, Sonia said the common minimum programme serves as an article of faith for the government and they are determined to ensure that it succeeds in fulfilling the mandate of the people. She added that despite differing with BJP ideologically, they would work in a spirit of constructive cooperation with the Centre. Describing the conclave as having significance, Sonia said J-K represents the quintessence of Indian secularism. Referring to elections held in the state seven months back, she said people defied threats to give a resounding answer to the enemies of secular democracy.
