PESHAWAR, June 27: After receiving threatening letters from militants, residents of various localities in the city have started holding meetings to devise a defence strategy in case they carry out their threat.

These letters bear the hallmark of the Bara-based militant group Lashkar-i-Islam and have caused panic in the provincial metropolis.

At a meeting held at Hazarkhwani, the participants said letters were sent at least to 80 people in the area and as many were reportedly sent to people in the Bahadur village near the Ring Road.

“If you have young daughter or sister at home, give them in nikah to Mujahideen and also donate them Rs500,000,” states one of the letters. The people were directed to pay the amount to local Lashkar-i-Islam commander Rahmat alias Khanjee Abdul Hanan Afridi at the Pundo Road in Peshawar.

The people told Dawn that they had invited Abdul Hanan Afridi to the meeting held at Hazarkhwani, but he did not turn up. They said the letters had created a sense of insecurity in the locality and local people were forced to do night security duties for their protection.

They said another meeting would be held on Saturday to decide a future line of action, saying they would request the Capital City Police Officer

and the SSP (operation), Peshawar, to establish a police checkpost in the area for their protection.

“If police are unable to protect the lives and properties of the people, they should be allowed to keep weapons for self protection,” they said, adding they had been issued threats for no fault.

Expressing concern over the deteriorating law and order situation, they said peoples’ lives were not safe.

Meanwhile, a police source told Dawn that due to the frequent threats many people from the posh locality of Hayatabad had shifted to other places.

He said most of the people were terrified with the reports that the government was planning to launch an operation against militants.

Officials of various police stations in Hayatabad, however, denied such reports, saying the situation was under control and there was no need of shifting from the township.

Lashkar-i-Islam leader Abdul Karim, when contacted, denied having any link with such people, saying the letters had been circulated by their opponents in a bid to defame the organisation.He also denied any relation with people threatening owners of video shops and internet cafes in the city.

SECURITY ALERT: The provincial capital has been put on high-alert on the directives of the high-ups, who asked security officials to conduct body search of suspected persons on various sensitive entry and exit points, a source told Dawn here on Friday.Besides, additional police personnel, several platoons of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) were also deployed in parts of the city particularly sensitive police stations in the suburbs of Peshawar in order to give back-up to the police in case of any emergency.

A high-ranking official said that capital city police officer had issued fresh directives to all station house officers (SHOs), heads of various circles, SDPOs and in-charges of police checkposts to ensure regular patrolling in their jurisdictions.

The source said four platoons of the FC were deployed in Badbher, seven platoons in Shinwari, Sango, Bara Qadeem and Haji Natras areas of Surband. One platoon in Chamkani, one Matra, two Nasir Bagh, one Tatara, one in limits of Khyber police station and six platoons of FC were deployed in parts of Hayatabad with additional one platoon police personnel.

They were also given five new police vans and four motorcycles for patrolling the areas.