ISLAMABAD, Oct 4: The US ambassador in Pakistan Wendy Chamberlin on Thursday met Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Dr Mahmood Ahmed Ghazi and discussed matters of mutual and bilateral interest with particular reference to Afghanistan.

The minister while talking to the ambassador expressed profound grief and sorrow over the tragic incident of terrorism in USA and said that act of terrorism is highly condemnable in Islam.

Islam, the minister said, is a religion of peace which establishes a society based on equality, justice and universal brother-hood.

The minister said that Pakistan stands by its pledge to co-operate with the international community to fight terrorism.

On a question about the madrassas, the minister told the ambassador that religious schools play a very important role in providing religious education, shelter and food to nearly one million students in Pakistan free of cost which is a great social service to humanity.

These religious madrassas have nothing to do with act of terrorism, he added.

In this context, the minister said that government is planning to establish model religious madrassas in different parts of the country in which besides religious education some other modern subjects would also be taught.

He further said that in this regard three Model madrassas are being established shortly in different cities of Pakistan.—APP