A senior Pakistani official has urged residents to evacuate the troubled Swat valley in the north-west, BBC reported.
Head of local administration Khushal Khan said the authorities were lifting a curfew so that people could leave areas near the main town of Mingora.
Earlier this year, Taleban militants operating in the Swat region agreed a peace deal with the government.
But the deal has been under intense pressure recently with the Taleban expanding operations into nearby areas.
The BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan in Islamabad says the latest developments are an indication that the authorities are getting ready to launch an operation against the militants in Swat.
The militants fought the army in the region from August 2007 until this year's deal.
Under the deal the Taleban were expected to disarm.
The Taleban say they will not lay down their arms until Islamic Sharia law is fully implemented in Swat.
The Taleban have banned the playing of music in cars and are also using mosques to invite local youth to join them.
They have also started regular patrols in the district.
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