Hyderabad: Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu has exhorted the legal fraternity to frame stringent laws to curb terrorism which is impacting people in all countries.

He said the need of the hour was to wage a joint fight against terrorism through legal, administrative and political means and by creating awareness among people so that peace prevails across the world.

Mr Naidu was speaking at the inauguration of the 78th session of the Institute of International Law at NALSAR University of Law campus in Shameerpet on the city’s outskirts on Sunday. Around 60 celebrated scholars and practitioners of international law from across the world are attending this week-long conference which is being held for the first time in India and the second time in Asia.

“The biggest threat to world peace is from terror. Terror has no religion, colour or sex. But, unfortunately, some sections are trying to link terror and religion for their narrow political ends. The world community should come together and have a comprehensive convention on suppression of international terrorism with an iron hand. A country can only progress when there is peace. Tension and attention cannot go together. When there is tension within the country, you cannot have attention towards development,” he said.

He said that terrorism is the “biggest enemy of mankind”.

Legal luminaries, lawyers and professionals should prepare laws in their respective countries to fight terror and to end all sources that are aiding terror.

“What is happening in India was not felt across the world earlier. But consequences of what is happening in United States, in Africa or in Europe are being felt across the world and people are getting affected with it. Everyone should speak in one voice and make a resolve to act against terror,” he said.

Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan urged the legal luminaries to focus extensively on defining human rights that are applicable to the entire world.

TS minister Indrakaran Reddy, Dr P.S. Rao, chairman of International Law Commission, Faizan Mustafa, vice-chancellor and Prof. V. Balakista Reddy, Registrar also spoke on the occasion.