LONDON, Nov 29: The British parliamentarians on Monday assured Pakistan of their assistance to sustain the post-earthquake relief effort and suggested inter-faith fund-raising plans in which the church and the mosque could be utilized for sponsorship schemes in Pakistan.

The British MPs had convened in the House of Commons on the call of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to hear Pakistan’s High Commissioner, Dr Maleeha Lodhi, make a passionate appeal for continuous international assistance to prevent another wave of deaths and misery as the winter sets in.

The high commissioner said the relief operations of the helicopters might be suspended in the next two weeks due to inhospitable weather conditions thus endangering the lives of many who survived the earthquake.

“Chinooks will not be able to fly once the winter sets in,” said the high commissioner.

She told the MPs that concerns had been voiced over disbursement of relief and assistance both within and outside Pakistan. She said President Musharraf had ensured complete transparency and audit of the relief activities through a number of mechanisms including parliamentary oversight through a committee comprising equal number of members from the opposition parties.

MP Mohammad Sarwar asked the high commissioner to clarify the details of the proposed sponsorship scheme and told the MPs about 300 limbs which were pending shipment for want of clearance by the relevant authorities.

In response to another question, the high commissioner said she had been interacting with the mosques leaders in the UK and many of them expressed the desire to sponsor a health unit or a school.

When a British MP, Shahid Malik, asked if the high commissioner was confident that the relief amount pledged would be given in time or it would be too late to arrive, Dr Lodhi said the UN agencies estimated that the reconstruction would take at least ten years while the government planned to complete it in five years. She said the short term relief activities would last for at least a year.

The high commissioner appreciated the assistance of the British government.