ISLAMABAD, Dec 7: The government has in principle accepted most of the terms of reference proposed by the combined opposition as a precondition for joining the parliamentary committee on earthquake relief and reconstruction. The government has sent out letters to opposition members named for the committee to pave way for it to start working, inside sources said.

Official circles claimed that more than 90 per cent of opposition’s reservations “have been addressed” and counter proposals accepted. Opposition, however, remained cautious and said it would give its response on the development after consultation.

In the first meeting of the committee chaired by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, the opposition members had expressed reservations about the ToR drawn up by the government and said they would submit their own.

The prime minister told electronic media on Wednesday that the government had given a fair chance to the opposition for closely working with it and hoped a positive response would emerge from their side.

He said the government had proved its sincerity in its intention of taking the opposition parties along in making transparent the gigantic work of rescue, relief and rehabilitation.

While the responsibility of execution lies with the executive (government), parliament is here to check financial expenses and handling of the job, he told a questioner.

The parliamentary committee, he said, could raise questions about the government’s way of management of the reconstruction and rehabilitation effort but the government alone was responsible for the job’s execution.

The prime minister said that Rs25,000 were provided to the quake affectees in the first stage for erecting temporary shelters to fight winter cold. In the next stage, the victims will be given financial support to construct houses as per the design of their liking.

He said the government had approved a standard winterized tent for procurement at home and from abroad. He described the family support programme initiated by the Punjab government as a big success as 6000 people had so far registered themselves out of a target of 100,000.

The combined opposition in the National Assembly and Senate announced that it will give its reaction to the government’s letter in three or four days after mutual consultation.

Leader of the opposition in Senate Mian Raza Rabbani told Dawn that he had received the letter last night and had informed other opposition colleagues, including Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Maulana Fazlur Rahman, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Mehmud Khan Achakzai, Asfandyar Wali, Rauf Mengal and Imran Khan.

Mr Rabbani said: “It will be premature to show reaction until all the opposition colleagues have discussed among themselves and taken a unified position.”