PESHAWAR, Jan 9: Awami National Party (ANP) has extended support to Pervez Musharraf government for taking measures to check religious terrorism and extremism.

“ANP appreciates the government’s recently taken measures against extremism and terrorism on the basis of religion,” said a party press release issued here on Wednesday by ANP’s secretary information Haji Mohammed Adeel.

Had the governments of the past not encouraged terrorism and extremism, Pakistan would not have faced with difficulties it was now experiencing internationally and at the hands of its neighbouring countries.

Haji Adeel said that desire for negotiations lost meaning under the prevalent situation as a result of Pakistan’s tarnished impression among the world community due to ISI-prepared policies viz-a-viz Afghanistan, India and Jihadi outfits.

He said that had the government given importance to concerns and reservations the ANP had been expressing in respect of the country’s policies about the region, the Musharraf government would not have faced the situation it was experiencing at present.

He said the ANP wanted the Loya Jirga to be convened and the formation of a broad-based government in Afghanistan to resolve the Afghan imbroglio and had it been done before the US bombing or Taliban and other Jihadi outfits had not been encouraged, the bilateral terms at the people-to-people and government-to-government levels between the two countries would not have deteriorated to such an extent as it appeared now.

Similarly, he said, the tension between Pakistan and India would not have touched the existing serious levels had the Kashmir issue dealt with in accordance with the Simla agreement and foreigners would not have been involved in the indigenous freedom struggle of the people of Kashmir.

The ANP expressed the hope that Gen Pervez Musharraf would change the government of Pakistan’s past policies and necessary improvements would be incorporated in the country’s foreign policy.