A new line of jeans manufactured in Pakistan to cater to the needs of Muslims, who want to stay comfortable when they pray, has drawn mixed reactions from Islamic hardliners.

Al Quds Jeans-- the Arabic word for Jerusalem -- are made of traditional blue denim, have five pockets and are specially tailored for use in the mosque.

Designed by an Italian company, these jeans are baggy and have a high waist to allow freedom of movement during the repeated kneeling for Islamic worship.

The jeans also have extra large pockets for glasses, trinkets and prayer beads and also feature discreet green seams at the top of the belt loops, in honour of the faith's sacred colour.

While hardliners say it is just another commercial venture, the manufacturers maintain that the jeans are not just an attempt to cash in on the relatively untapped Muslim market, but that they sensitively fulfill a need.

Image: Susanna Cavalli, chief of product development, Al Quds Jeans, holding a blue denim jeans at her office in Karachi.

Photograph: Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty Images