MUZAFFARGARH, Aug 5: Hurling of threats by a group which identifies itself by the name of ‘Tehreek-i-Taliban Muzaffargarh’ has disturbed public peace.

Routine activities in the main city bazaar of Kot Adu and Muzaffargarh have been affected owing to threats to internet cafes, CD-DVD shops and cable operators through emails and letters.

To adopt counter-strategy, the DCO, the DPO, peace committee members, journalists and the Anjuman-i-Tajran met here the other day and discussed ways to deal with the situation.

Sheikh Hafeez, a cloth trader in Muzaffargarh city, said his business had been affected a great deal as people had stopped coming out due to threats. He said many shopkeepers had brought cloth for veils for female customers.

Internet cafe owners have displayed at their centres that “obscene sites are not allowed”.

DCO Dr Tariq Javed Malik said the administration was keeping an eye on suspects with the help of local community. He urged the citizens to be watchful of any suspicious activity.

DPO Sahibzada Shahzad Sultan quoted the police intelligence reports as revealing that 52 members of outlawed organisations had taken refuge in the district. Another four had recently shifted to other cities, it said.

He said in all probability it was propaganda and there was no such entity by the name in circulation. The police would dig out the issue in a few days.

Syed Gulzar Naqvi, a member of peace committee, said Kot Adu had remained hub of sectarianism and ‘jihadi organisations’ had roots here.

Anjuman-i-Tajran President (Muzaffargarh tehsil) Ameer Hasan said some immigrants from Pakhtoon area should be checked because they didn’t have identity cards and others documents. The DPO ordered SDPO Saifullah Khattak to check these Pathan immigrants from the NWFP.