PESHAWAR, Feb 17: The Awami National Party (ANP) has condemned violent agitation and demonstrations against the publication of blasphemous cartoons in some European newspapers.

In a press statement issued here on Friday, Abdul Latif Afridi, member of the party’s central executive committee, said there was no second opinion that the publication of cartoons had hurt the sentiments of Muslims across the world, but violent acts and losses caused to local traders and businessmen would serve no purpose.

These acts would bring notoriety to Muslims, which would adversely affect the reputation of the Ummah. He also criticised government functionaries for what he termed allowing demonstrators to damage public property. These acts, he said, would scare away the foreign investors and nobody would feel comfortable to invest in the Frontier province in future.

He also feared that it could be a conspiracy hatched by the anti-Pukhtun elements to defame them in the eyes of the international community.

Mr Afridi said an international investment conference was being planned in the country and urged the people of the NWFP to stand against those resorting to violent acts, so they could not destroy their image of a hospitable and peaceful people.

He also demanded that the provincial government should disallow violent demonstrations and compensate traders and owners of other installations for their losses in the protests.