PESHAWAR, Nov 28: The law and order situation in the city is fast deteriorating because of increasing threats by militants to the business community and female educational institutions.

Although Capital City Police Officer Tanveer-ul-Haq claims to have devised a strategy to combat the militancy in sensitive areas, the situation can easily be gauged from the rising trend of sending threatening letters to various segments of society.

Sources said the local Taliban were sending threatening letters to the owners of barbershops asking them not to shave beards. The letters have also been sent to various girls schools asking students to observe strict purdah.

Owners of CD and video shops in the Karkhano Bazaar have also received threatening letters. At least sixty shops of CDs have been closed after militants threatened to attack them.

The threats have also led to the closure of a number of the internet cafés in the metropolis. The Taliban asked the café owners to close the business or face action.

Police sources said that the militants had increased their activities in the most sensitive areas of Peshawar, including Mattani, Ormar and Maechani.

Police have also abandoned patrols in some areas of the city, especially on Kohat Road which is connected to the tribal area of Darra Adamkhel.

A few days ago, a powerful bomb exploded at a government girls school in the Sher Bahadur village, destroying the main gate, windows, doors and boundary wall of the school.

Police officers told Dawn that they had increased patrols and tightened the security, particularly in areas where terrorists and extremists had intensified their activities. Frontier Constabulary personnel have also started patrolling the sensitive areas in order to help the local police.

The city police chief told Dawn that security measures had been beefed in and around the city and all possible efforts were being made to curb the militants.

He said police were ready to take action, but added that threatening letters were being sent by unidentified persons.

A police officer said that his brother owned a shop of computer software and CDs, but it was wound up because of the prevailing law and order situation.

Meanwhile, police on Wednesday claimed to have arrested 50 people who were reportedly involved in criminal activities and wanted by police.