An Islamic cleric says more than 250 Pakistani madrassas or Islamic seminaries have vowed to resist a government order to register and disclose their sources of income.
Representatives of these madrassas met in Islamabad on Monday and denounced the order from President Pervez Musharraf as discriminatory. They say madrassas should not be singled out for registration. They say that all private institutions and schools, some of which they allege are preaching anti-Islamic and anti-Pakistan teachings, should also be registered.
Under the presidential order, all 12,000 madrassas across Pakistan, some of which are suspected of training Islamist militants, are required to register by the end of this year to avoid closure.
General Musharraf's move followed revelations that three of the four bombers in July 7 attacks in London were Muslims of Pakistani origin, and at least one of them had visited madrassas in Pakistan.
Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.