PESHAWAR, Dec 22: The Awami National Party has called upon the world community to help Islamabad get rid of its debt and said that Pakistan itself is a victim of terrorism and it deserves to be helped in its anti-terrorism efforts.

In a statement on Saturday, the ANP said that Afghanistan’s neighbours, specifically Pakistan and Iran, had paid heavy a price by hosting millions of refugees for over two decades. Hence, it added, in view of their pressing conditions the world community should help them improve their economies.

ANP information secretary Haji Mohammed Adeel said that Pakistan deserved financial support so that its economy could be strengthened and it could overcome the menace of heroin, Kalashnikov culture and terrorism, by-products of Afghan crisis that had affected society.

Like other countries, he said, Pakistan, too, was a victim of terrorism which was evident from the fact that brothers of a sitting prime minister and interior minister were killed on roads.

Even religious places were not safe in Pakistan, he said, adding that Saarc member countries needed to forge unity to jointly counter terrorism.

He said that instead of issuing threats and warning, both India and Pakistan should resolve their problems through talks, and work out a strategy that could effectively discourage terrorism.

Welcoming the installation of an interim government in Afghanistan under the leadership of Hamid Karzai, the ANP hoped that the new government would ensure convening of Loya Jirga in the prescribed six months and would hold election to help Afghans have an elected government.