Islamabad: Pakistan set up on Thursday a special mechanism to oversee utilization of all aid for flood victims and ensure complete transparency, while visiting American Senator John Kerry announced the US would increase its assistance to 150 million dollars.

Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani launched a National Oversight Disaster Management Council, saying it would be made up of “people of good reputation and impeccable integrity from different walks of life”.

“These respectable members of the council will ensure that the funds are distributed and utilized in a transparent manner and spent judiciously, without any discrimination,” he said in a speech, adding that composition of the body would be made public soon.

He pledged a “massive national effort to rebuild Pakistan brick by brick” and said the teeming homeless millions would go back to their homes with complete security and have access to health, education and other services.

“Our government is fully committed to ensuring transparency and accountability. Each penny that is collected in this rebuilding effort will be spent most transparently and equitably,” he said.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Senator Kerry together flew over flood-devastated areas in southern part of Pakistan’s most populous province of Punjab.

Kerry underscored the keen US interest in seeing the ally in war against terrorism overcome the crippling effects of the worst floods in its history, which have affected up to 20 million people, with the number rendered homeless and desperately needing food, shelter and health care now put at six million.

“We don't want additional jihadists, extremists coming out of a crisis,” the senator told reporters after meeting US military personnel taking part in helicopter relief missions.

Senator Kerry praised the strong and effective cooperation between the military and the civil administration in the relief work under the democratic government of the country.

Gilani, in his address in Islamabad, saluted the Pakistan Army, Navy an Air Force and they “won the hearts and minds of the people with their courage, determination and professionalism.”

Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and some other world leaders talked to Gilani by phone and expressed sympathy and support to the country.

The United Nations said on Thursday that contributions and pledges of $272.4 million have so far been received for planned emergency relief activities in Pakistan.

“The Pakistan Initial Floods Emergency Response Plan envisages activities costing $ 459.7 million for the initial relief period, but the requirements will be revised as necessary. Contributions and pledges totaling $ 272.4 (59.3 per cent of requirements) have so far been received for the relief activities,” said a UN fact sheet released here.