01 October 2004	Friday	15 Shaban 1425

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NEW DELHI, Sept 30: The Indian government would take every step needed to peacefully resolve the Kashmir issue with Pakistan, Congress Party leader and chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Sonia Gandhi said on Thursday.

She told a public meeting at Kargil that the composite dialogue process with Islamabad would not only continue but also be strengthened to establish peace. "The UPA government will take every step to resolve the Kashmir issue through dialogue and reconciliation," Press Trust of India quoted Ms Gandhi as saying on her first visit to the Line of Control after the UPA government assumed office in May.

Ms Gandhi is expected to visit Pakistan in December, but officials say she has not yet confirmed the final dates. She said the recent meeting between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Gen Pervez Musharraf in New York was a step towards establishing peace in the region. War between the two countries had brought nothing but havoc, she declared.

Describing people of Kargil as soldiers without uniform, Ms Gandhi said they had witnessed a turbulent period and rendered numerous sacrifices during the Kargil conflict.