KOHAT, Dec 5: Tension gripped the entire Kohat area on Wednesday after threatening letters were sent to all three caretakers of Imambargahs allegedly by Taliban militants, asking them to either shut down their sacred places and leave Kohat or be ready to face consequences, sources told Dawn.

Some of the elders of the area, who also received the letters, had been asked to switch over to the other sect or be ready for death. There was no mention of the deadline in the letters.

Members of the Shia community have informed police high-ups about the letters and threatening calls and demanded protection and safety of their lives and their sacred places. The people were still receiving threats on their mobile telephones and police were reported to be trying to reach a customer of the Ufone who made the phone calls.

The caretakers who received the letters were Amjad Karbalai, Amjad Abidi and Inam-ul-Hussain. Prominent individuals who received threats on telephone and through leaflets are Sher Khan Bangash, Sher Khan Toru, Central Secretary General of Terik-i-Nifaz-i-Fiqh Jafria, Mazhar Ali Shah advocate, Ashraf and Shaukat advocate.

The people from secret services and law-enforcement agencies when contacted by Dawn termed the threats ‘not alarming’, but apprehended that the situation during the coming month of Muharram could be very dangerous in the region due to killings of the people of the rival group by the Taliban militants in Darra Adam Khel.

Meanwhile, a jirga of the Shia community had put the security of all Imambargahs on the highest level. It may be recalled that some unknown miscreants had exploded two devices at an Imambargah in the posh KDA Township which damaged its gate and boundary wall.

More than three vehicles were damaged and window-panes and wooden doors of several houses were broken due to the bomb blasts

Talking to Dawn, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Kohat region, Mr Zulfiqar Cheema, said that actitivites of Taliban would continue to spill over to settled districts unless the militants were dealt sternly, particulaly in adjoining tribal area of Darra Adam Khel.

He assured the Shia community that every step would be taken to provide it security, but the people should cooperate with the police in identifying sinister elements and also report any suspicious movement in the area to Rescue 15 or to the district police officer directly.

“The unrest in the Frontier Fegion of Kohat is due to the unbridled Taliban militants who are killing and kidnapping people of the rival group, causing problems of security in Kohat also,” he said

However, he said, the police were trying their best to ensure peace in the area by utilising all available resources and planning to manage the security with limited resources during the elections and the coming month of Muharram.