ISLAMABAD Awami National Party (ANP) Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan, who escaped an assassination attempt in Wali Bagh suicide attack on Friday said local Taliban have denied their involvement in the heinous crime and held foreign elements responsible for the act.

'It is not our work rather it is the work of foreign elements,' he quoted local Taliban as saying.

The statement of local Taliban gave a clear message that there was rift among the militants operating in tribal areas, he told a private TV channel in a telephonic interview.

Asfandyar Wali Khan termed the formation of Tribal Lashkar against the miscreants as 'good development' and said it would yield positive results.

He expressed optimism that the things would start moving in the right direction soon.

The ANP Chief reaffirmed his commitment to fight the menace of terrorism in a more effective manner, saying such cowardly acts could not deter the ANP from pursuing national policy to ensure peace and stability in the country.

He said ANPs history was full of sacrifices and it was not afraid of such tactics.

To a question, he said 'war against terrorism is our own. It is not the war of America,' adding terrorists are targeting innocent people of Pakistan and wanted to create unrest and instability in the country.

The ANP Chief criticised the previous government when it introduced Afghan refugees as Mujahideen during Afghan-Soviet Union war, terming it 'root cause of the problem.'

Four people, including the bomber were killed in the attack.