According to the official count, 80 people have been detained in Punjab province, 50 in North-West Frontier province, 35 in Sindh province and a similar number in Baluchistan province. Police also raided several mosques and madrasas across the country.
A raid Tuesday night on Islamabad's Red Mosque led to a scuffle between madrasa students and police. Seven Muslim clerics were arrested. Police raided two other mosques in the capital to arrest the imams, allegedly for making inflammatory speeches.
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is scheduled to make a speech tonight to announce new curbs on Islamic militant organizations.
An alliance of religious parties, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, accused Musharraf of launching the crackdown under pressure from Blair. An alliance spokesman said the religious parties, which form the opposition in Pakistan's parliament and govern two provinces, would protest Friday the arrests of members of Islamic groups.
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Times staff writer Daniszewski reported from London and special correspondent Zaidi from Islamabad, Pakistan. Times staff writer Sebastian Rotella in Ferrol, Spain, contributed to this report.
