PESHAWAR, Feb 10: The Awami National Party has condemned the publication of blasphemous cartoons in some European newspapers and called upon the governments concerned to take steps to ensure that such acts are not repeated.

In a statement issued on Friday, ANP president Asfandyar Wali Khan said newspapers should respect the rights of religions with freedom of expression. Such irresponsible acts on the part of media could fuel chaos which could engulf the world, he warned.

He urged people to exercise restraint and appealed to other parties to refrain from using the issue for their vested interests. There was no second opinion about the publication of the cartoons being condemnable but the issue should not be used for political purposes, he said.—Corespondent