PESHAWAR, Aug 10: The Christian community in the city is reported to have received anonymous threatening letters asking them to convert to Islam by Aug 10 failing which their locality will be destroyed.
The letters have been sent to some members of the Christian community in the Kohati area, a neighbourhood in the interior city, where some of their old places of worship are situated.
The members of the community held a meeting with Peshawar City Police Chief Abdul Majeed Marwat on Friday and informed him about their apprehensions.
Mr Marwat told them that police had increased patrols in the area and the number of policemen deputed there had been raised.
“Providing security to the minority communities is our prime responsibility and we won’t let anyone to harm them,” he said.
A few months ago, some Christians in Charsadda district also received threatening letters. Police later claimed that some youngsters of the locality were involved and they just wanted to tease those members.
The letters sent to the Christian community in Peshawar did not carry the name of the sender. The letters asked the Christians to embrace Islam. “If you fail to comply with the demand till Friday (Aug 10), your locality would be destroyed and you will be yourself responsible for the destruction of your life and property,” one of the letters reads.
It adds: “Don’t consider it merely a threat. Our suicide bombers will completely annihilate you.”
Members of the Christian’s community living in the cantonment area also complained that they had received threatening letters asking them to abandon their religion. Police have beefed up security at the places of worship in the wake of the end of deadline on Friday.
The meeting between the Christian community and the CCPO was also attended by SSP Operations Mohammad Tahir Khan.
The CCPO assured the members of full protection to their lives and property. “Islam is the religion of peace and the Islamic state ensures safety to lives and property of its citizens irrespective of their religion and cast,” he said.
The SSP operations told Dawn that communication links between police officers and elders of the minorities had been established after the warning letters were issued.
Personnel of the Anti-Terrorist Squad had also been deployed at churches and temples situated in different parts of the city, he said, adding that patrols in the minority-populated areas had been increased. Mobile and telephone numbers of the SHOs and SPs concerned had also been provided to the minorities so that they could contact them in case of any threat, the SSP operations added.
