ISLAMABAD Jan 26: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Thursday renewed a government pledge not to allow adoption of children orphaned by last October’s devastating earthquake.

“These child victims are left in the trust of the nation which will fulfil its duty at all costs,” the prime minister told a delegation of the British charity group Save the Children.

Jasmine Whitebread, the organisation’s chief executive officer, called on Mr Aziz at the Prime Minister’s House on Thursday.

Mr Aziz briefed the British charity workers about the government’s reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in earthquake-ravaged areas.

He said the government had set up the Earthquake Relief and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA), Federal Relief Commission (FRC) National Volunteer Movement (NVM) immediately after the earthquake to deal with the damage caused by the earthquake.

In addition to reopening schools in the area, Mr Aziz said, the government is focussing on providing shelter, food and clothing to homeless people in the harsh weather conditions.

Mr Aziz said that a proper disaster management relief agency would be set up soon to deal with natural calamities.

He informed them about the setting up of an orphanage house called “Ashyana” in Attock where the ministry of social welfare had provided relief to more than 500 orphan children and women affected by the quake.