MANSEHRA, March 15: Police have been put on high alert after alleged letter from Taliban threatened attacks on coeducational schools and non-governmental organisations in Mansehra district.

"We are not yet certain about the origin of the letter asking people to act against the NGOs, CD and video centres and schools where boys and girls were taught together, but we have put the police on high alert in the district," said district police officer Ijaz Ahmad Khan on Thursday.

He confirmed that he had also received a copy of the letter and a man was being questioned about it. He said that the language and style of the piece apparently didn't match with threatening letters sent by Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in Peshawar and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but precautionary measures were being taken to cope with the threat.

The letter, a copy of which was also obtained by this correspondent, is addressed to public asking them to rise against NGOs, CD centres, mobile shops and coeducational schools or face explosive attacks.

"If you failed to rise against these evils within 10 days of the letter, we would launch our action," it warned. PM'S HELP SOUGHT:

The lady health workers and health supervisors here have appealed to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to order the health authorities to ensure payment of their five-month salaries.

"We and our children are suffering because of non-payment of our salaries since October 2011 and the government should intervene to solve our problems," said a group of lady health workers while speaking to media persons here on Thursday.

Requesting anonymity, they said that their travel allowance was also withheld from the last three months.

"My son was struck off from his school as I could not pay his fee for four consecutive months," said one of the LHWs.

They demanded of the prime minister to ask the national health programme's donor agencies and the federal government to evolve a strategy so they could be paid regularly. SECTION 144:

The district administration on Thursday banned gathering of three or more people under Section 144 within 200 yards area of schools where examinations of Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education would be held from March 20. The district coordination office also issued another notification banning entry of vehicles and trucks loaded with fruit and vegetable into fruit and vegetable market situated on Karakoram Highway here.-Correspondent