GREAT Harwood councillor Noordad Aziz has pledged to raise money to help people displaced by devastating floods in Pakistan — after getting caught up in them.

Coun Aziz was visiting family in Jhelum, in North Punjab, when the area was hit by torrential down-pours that lasted four days and affected more than 2.27 million people in the country.

He said: “The rain meant significant volumes of water flowed into the River Jhelum, Chenab and Ravi, causing massive destr-uction to homes and live-stock, with over a million people displaced. “In some instances, the river Chenab has broken its bank and gone four to five kilometres inland, leading to the potential for water-borne diseases, such as polio and cholera, to become more prevalent.

“This is a major issue and a cause for concern for the displaced people.”

More than 300 people in Pakistan, along with more than 250 in India, were killed in the floods. Millions of acres of crop land has been affected, and tens of thousands of homes were damaged.

Coun Aziz said many people in East Lancashire were also affected because they have family in the area.

He is now planning to raise vital funds for victims of the flood, and has urged residents to give to Islamic Relief, which has volunteers on the ground in both northern Pakistan and India.

Charity spokesman Moh-ammed Afsar said: “Our team in Pakistan was able to initiate an immediate response thanks a project funded by Islamic Relief UK.”

The charity, set up in 1984 with its first donation of 20p, was the first Muslim charity to join the UK’s Disaster Emergencies Com-mittee.

It said around 12 million people have been affected in both India and Pakistan.

To donate, go to www.islamicrelief.org.uk/current-appeals/pakistan-and-india-floods/