KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24: India has failed to get a Pakistan- specific paragraph on the terrorism issue included in the final document to be issued at the end of non-aligned summit on Tuesday.

Instead, the foreign ministers have approved for adoption a crucial paragraph that expects NAM to make a difference between terrorism and national liberation struggles and condemns state terrorism on a people struggling to achieve their right of self- determination.

India, which has consistently opposed specifically defining the word “terrorism”, found itself isolated on the issue, because, as a Pakistan diplomat who did not wish to be identified put it, “NAM is not the European Union or the US whom anyone can fool by exploiting the word terrorism.” More than half the NAM members, he said, had achieved their independence after struggling against colonial powers for their right of self- determination, and felt strongly about it.

A clear-cut definition of terrorism, making it clear that freedom struggles do not fall within this category, will embarrass the Indians, the diplomat said, because of the ongoing rebellions against New Delhi in Kashmir, Assam and elsewhere. India, he said, was also vulnerable on the caste system and feared it could find its way into the final document.

The crucial paragraph asks all NAM members to call for the holding of a conference under the aegis of the United Nations to define terrorism to differentiate it from the struggle for national liberation.

Two sentences of the paragraph constitute indirect criticism of India and Israel because they condemn the “brutalization of peoples” under foreign occupation and denounce the use of state power against “innocent peoples” fighting for freedom.

The paragraph adopted by the foreign ministers in its final form says, “the heads of state or government further called on all states to endorse in principle the convening of an international conference under the auspices of the United Nations to define terrorism, to differentiate it from the struggle for national liberation and to reach comprehensive and effective measures for concerted action. They also denounced the brutalization of peoples kept under foreign occupation as the gravest form of terrorism.

They condemned the use of state power for suppression and violence against innocent victims struggling against foreign occupation to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination. They stressed the sanctity of this right and urged that in this area of enlarged freedom and democracy, peoples under foreign occupation should be allowed to freely determine their destiny. In this context, they also reaffirmed their support for General Assembly Resolution 46/51 of Jan 27, 1992, as well as other relevant United Nations resolutions and the principled position of the Movement that the struggle of peoples under colonial or alien domination and foreign occupation of self-determination do not constitute terrorist.”

Speaking at the inaugural session of the business forum of the Non-Aligned Movement, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad said the world paranoia over terrorism would result in the countries of the South sliding into greater poverty if they were not prepared to deal with the poorer business environment.