New York, Sept 29: India found overwhelming support on need to fight terrorism and other international and economic issues affecting the developing nations during extensive discussions Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha had with world leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.
Sinha said everyone agreed that there should be no double standards and the menace should be fought everywhere. India's view that fight against terrorism should not end with al Qaeda found wide resonance with the other leaders and all expressed the view other terrorist organisations, including Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen, need to be fought as they are equally dangerous and have links somewhere with al Qadea.
Other issues that came up during discussions included UN reforms including expansion of the Security Council, relevance of the non-aligned movement, new threats and challenges posed to the global order and HIV/AIDS.
India found wide support for its claim to permanent membership in the expanded 15-member council and its view that Pakistan is epicenter of all terrorism not only for India but also for Afghanistan and elsewhere in the world.

India's approach during the discussions had been comprehensive, multidimensional and multidirectional and was not Pakistan-centric, Sinha told a news agency at the end of his ten-day visit here.
"It was not merely Pakistan. Pakistan was there somewhere but there was no obsession with it," he said, stressing that India never raised the issue of Pakistan at high-level discussions even though Islamabad raised Jammu and Kashmir at every conceivable opportunity.

Bureau Report