RAWALPINDI, July 14: Haji Gulzar Awan, who had contested 2013 election from NA-57 on PPP ticket, has been receiving extortion threats allegedly from the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) who are demanding Rs50 million from him, police said.

Haji Gulzar Awan, a resident of Westridge-1, complained to the police that he had received three long interval threat calls from extortionists who also threatened of kidnapping him if he failed to meet their demand.

When a senior police official was contacted, he said Haji Gulzar Awan, after receiving extortion calls, went to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Israr Ahmed Abbasi and informed him that he had been in deep stress since he started receiving the calls.

He informed the police that the caller, who spoke Pashto, identified himself as a member of the TTP and demanded ransom. Mr Awan added that he had received three similar phone calls so far.

Following his complaint, a case was registered with the Westridge police and investigations were launched. Police said they were trying to trace the caller and his location through the phone call data.

Earlier, Raja Hanif Abbasi, a wealthy businessman from Murree, had also received extortion and life threats allegedly from the TTP, which demanded Rs100 million from him, police said.

Mr Abbasi had received a threat letter along with a USB containing the video and pictures of the suspected TTP militants. However, the police have so far been unable to trace any clue which could lead to the extortionists.