NEW YORK/ISLAMABAD

Pakistan is preparing to expel thousands of Arab, Afghan and other foreign students studying at religious schools across the country out of concern that their presence might be a step toward possible militant activities the New York Times said quoting Pakistan government officials.

The measure is expected to lead to the expulsion of at least 300 Arabs and Afghans in what the Pakistani officials described as a first wave. But within a few months, Pakistani officials told the Times, they expected to reduce the number of Arab students in Pakistan by at least 7,000, from more than about 17,000 today.

The plan would also bar new enrolment of foreign students altogether. To continue studies at a Pakistani religious school, each of the more than 36,000 current foreign students must obtain a formal endorsement from his home government, according to an interior ministry plan described by the officials.

The plan is to be presented next week to President Pervez Musharraf, the Times said.

Pakistan is home to more than 6,000 religious institutions, with a total number of students estimated at more than 600,000. In addition to some 17,000 Arabs students, these include more than 16,000 Afghans and more that 1,000 other foreigners, senior Pakistani officials told the paper.

The current plan stems from a promise made in a Jan. 12 speech by General Musharraf, who said that foreign students at the Madaris who lacked valid visas or other documents would be deported by March 23 unless they obtained the necessary endorsement of their home countries.

The officials said that the number of expulsions was likely to soar in the next few months as checks on the students' backgrounds were completed, the paper said. At the same time, Pakistan's government intends to release at least 800 of the 2,000 Pakistani militants arrested in January as part of a crackdown against extremist groups, the officials told the paper.