General Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's military ruler, yesterday ordered up to 1,400 foreign students attending Islamic madrassah schools to leave the country. The announcement marks the toughest action so far against foreign visitors to the more than 13,000 madrassah schools, many of which have a reputation for prompting young people to join militant groups.
Two of the London suicide bombers are believed to have visited a madrassah in Pakistan last year.
The 1,400 students would be expelled in groups of up to five, rather than in larger groups, to avoid attracting protests from Islamic hardliners, officials said.