Women bearing brunt of Taliban's expanded writ in Karachi

Karachi, May 27 (ANI): After establishing its control over a major part of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) in Pakistan, the Taliban is looking to expand its control over other parts of the country , making women its prime target.

In an attempt to spread panic among the people, especially females, the Taliban is now threatening young women in Karachi.

There have been several incidents in the country's most cosmopolitan city where the Taliban has told young women to cover themselves from head to toe.

The warnings have left upper- and middle-class women in a state of panic as they have enjoyed Karachi's liberal environment for years, says the Christian Science Monitor reports.

In a recent incident, Noor, a college student, was threatened by two bearded men for wearing jeans.

"They told us to have shame and only leave the house with our heads covered.Before we could say anything, they added that no one would be able to keep us safe if we didn't obey," Noor said.

Since then, Noor has stopped wearing jeans.

The incident is certainly not an isolated example of the alarm bells ringing about the 'Talibanization' of Karachi.

The extremists have also threatened private, co-educational institutions, asking them to close down or separate their students.

School administrations too have received letters signed by the Taliban.

It is also learnt that the top Taliban commanders based in Quetta have relocated to Karachi to avoid drone attacks in their stronghold in the northwest tribal regions, and the recent arrest of Badshah Deen, the right-hand man of Pakistan Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, from Karachi's Sachal area confirms that extremists are slowly establishing their control over the city.

Officials have also admitted that after NWFP, the Taliban is expanding its network in Karachi.(ANI)