However, the government authorities, while disagreeing with the donors, said that they were underestimating the loss and money required for the rehabilitation and reconstruction work that would span over several years. The government has estimated loss at $5 billion.
Having difference of $1 billion in estimates, the donors and the government authorities are meeting here on Wednesday. They will hear each other's point of view and try to come up with some reconciled estimates. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz is also likely to attend the meeting.
Sources told Business Recorder on Tuesday that the donors and the Government of Pakistan have sharp differences over the loss of housing sector and money required for its reconstruction.
The sources said that the donors assessment team has assessed the loss to the housing sector in damaged parts at $1 billion, whereas the government has estimated $2 billion loss.
An official, who attended the first meeting with the donors said, "We have differences with the international donors in two areas - housing sector and strategy for reconstruction - and in Wednesday's meeting the government side will reiterate its demand that the donors need to review their estimates, keeping in view the scale of damage."
He said that reconciled figures of loss and money for reconstruction were of extraordinary importance for Islamabad, as the government would present these figures to the world community at the international conference, scheduled for November 19 here.
The government has convened a two-day conference of the international donors to apprise them about the damage caused by October 8 earthquake and money needed for rehabilitation and reconstruction.
The sources said that the government authorities held threadbare discussion on the donors' preliminary assessment report and they would present their point of view in Wednesday's meeting. The international donors had formed an assessment team that visited damaged parts and prepared its report on loss.
Meanwhile, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Salman Shah was busy with his team in preparation work for Wednesday's meeting till late Tuesday night.
AFP ADDS: The PM's adviser said the international donors estimate that last month's earthquake killed about 86,000 people.
"The assessment teams of international donors that went into earthquake-hit areas for the needs assessment have estimated the death toll around 86,000," Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Dr Salman Shah told AFP.
"But this is not a confirmed death toll, it is based just on their assessments," he said.
"Let's not confirm these figures," he said, adding that the federal relief commissioner would announce the confirmed death toll.
The government last week also said 69,260 were severely injured by the 7.6-magnitude quake in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and NWFP.
It expressed fears the toll would rise, as some remote mountain areas remained inaccessible. The damage assessment report prepared by the teams from the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and other donor agencies said the quake devastated a total of 7,197 educational institutions in NWFP and AJK, an official at one of the agencies told AFP.
The earthquake also destroyed 3,837km of roads, the official said on the condition of anonymity.
The reconstruction cost estimated by the teams ranged between $3-4 billion, while Pakistan estimates $10-12 billion, he said. Officials said 3.5 million people have been hit by the calamity.
Sources said that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has convened a meeting of senior government officials on Wednesday to compile data on damage to houses and the cost of reconstruction.
This final report will be presented at an international donors' conference in Islamabad on November 19.