KARACHI, Sept 20: Security has been further beefed up around the already heavily-guarded American embassy in Islamabad and its consulates in Karachi and Lahore, following threats of suicide bombings by women of Central Asian origin , in disguise of visa applicants, well-placed government sources told Dawn.

"The federal government has been intimated by the US government about the threat. They have credible information about it which has been passed on to our government with a request to take appropriate action, the sources said. They said that women disguising themselves as visa applicants could try to approach the US embassy or consulates.

The women might belong to a jihadi organization and be of the Uzbek, Tajik or Chechen origin. They could appear as Western women wearing skirts and shirts to deceive security officials, they added.

The sources said that a number of steps were being taken to improve security and avert any untoward incident. Several meetings have been held in Islamabad and provincial capitals to devise a prevention plan and safeguard the US interests in Pakistan. Security has also been increased at other places of US interests in the country.