LANDIKOTAL: The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has asked all the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and owners of shops dealing in mobile ring tones to close down their offices and shops in Khyber Agency within a week or face the consequences.
Tribal sources said that the TTP on Tuesday distributed threatening leaflets in Landikotal bazaar in which they warned the NGOs’ workers and the shopkeepers loading mobile ring tones that their offices and shops would be targetted if the un-Islamic businesses were not stopped.
Following the Taliban threats, all the NGOs offices and mobile cell phones markets in Landikotal remained close for the last two days. ‘‘They (America and non-Muslims) don’t want us to remain Muslims and want to take away the veil from our women. The NGOs hire women who work alongside the men in the field and in offices and this is totally un-Islamic and unacceptable,’’ the leaflets read.
Several leaflets were found in the streets of the Landikotal bazaar and many were also seen pasted on the walls of markets. The message in the leaflets said that the West and America wanted their influence in Muslim areas by utilising their un-Islamic tools.
It was learnt that the TTP had also distributed such leaflets on Monday and had hurled threats at the NGOs and cellphone centres. It held the NGOs responsible for promoting obscenity and liberalising the society.
The leaflets added that the young generation, particularly women were in the habit of watching movies and songs on their mobile phone sets and it was harming the Islamic tribal society.The TTP warned the NGOs to stop so-called women rights programmes and leave the area.
Two employees of the NGOs, who requested anonymity, told The News by phone from Landikotal and Jamrud that they had decided to quit their jobs as they had received several threatening calls from unknown persons.
Iftikhar, Aslam and Wali Muhammad, who were running cell-phones shops in Landikotal bazaar, said they found the threatening TTP leaflets outside their shops.The shopkeepers said they had closed their shops and offices for the last two days due to the fear of bombing in the market.
They recalled that their markets were bombed twice last year and their businesses were ruined.Officials of the local administration confirmed the circulation of leaflets by the TTP and asked the people to avoid visiting the public places.