He said, "we have total commitments from overseas of 2.4 billion dollars and much more will be needed." "But the initial pledges are very encouraging and from within the country we have raised over Rs 5 billion from members of civil society and the business community, and more is coming in."
"So I think if you look at the total funds coming in, the world has stood by Pakistan, but, we need much more."
He said, "our immediate objective when the earthquake occurred at October 8 was to focus on relief and rescue, provide food and water to the people, provide them medical care and temporary housing.
The Prime Minister said, quake-hit area was one of the toughest terrains in the world and accessibility is a big challenge.
He said people live miles away from the nearest road and "what we have done is historic in the sense that thousands of troops have been manned out into mountainous areas where there was no access, no road, carrying food on their back, using mules."
He said, the areas where helicopters cannot land because the mountains are so steep. The Prime Minister said despite all this "we have provided food and medical care to everybody. No body in the quake-affected area says that there is shortage of food."
He said all out efforts were being made with all available resources to reach and assist people in the inaccessible areas. To a question, the Prime Minister said there was no prior allocation in budget for earthquake relief, adding that naturally this happened after the event occurred.
He said after the disaster, the government, the civil side, the military and the people had stepped up an effort, which is historic.
He said from Karachi to Khyber Pass, every Pakistani was contributing to the earthquake effort. "People standing together to help their brethren who have suffered from a major catastrophe, a major human tragedy and the earthquake which is much more serious than the tsunami."
He said in the quake-affected areas, accessibility was very difficult and despite that relief was timely provided which was unprecedented. "The government and friends from overseas have come in a big way and that is why we have been able to provide relief to the affected people," he added.
Much more needs to be done and this would move on to the next phase, which is rehabilitation and reconstruction, he added. But, "you will not hear anybody in Pakistan saying they did not have food. They were delivered food by every means."
"You will have no body saying that the hospitals did not gear up to treat the people because the medical care from Pakistan was excellent and besides Pakistan, 32 different countries have set up field hospitals in the affected areas."
The Prime Minister said the access is a challenge as there are no roads for miles and miles. People live in isolated areas and it requires time to bring them back, he added.
To a question about blasts in Delhi, he said Pakistan condemns violence and terrorism. Killing of innocent civilians is no way to solve any problem in a civilised society, he added.
He hoped that the Indian authorities would investigate and get to the bottom. "Certainly, we are highly grieved for those who lost their lives." Pakistan is playing a major role in fight against terrorism across the globe, he added.
He said Pakistan has agreed with India to open five crossing points so that relatives of quake-affected people on both sides of LoC could meet and help each other.
The Prime Minister said the volunteers are waiting and after completing paper work, they would help people who cross to our side and the people on this side who want to go there and meet their relatives.
He said earthquake occurred on both sides of LoC and both need relief and rescue.
He said there would be two-way movement and there was tremendous feeling in Azad Kashmir to help their brethren on the other side who are in the Indian Occupied Kashmir.