Pakistan held a donors conference here Thursday in the hope of seeking financial support for those displaced due to military operations in northwest Pakistan, Xinhua reported.
Pakistani officials briefed the donors about the needs of 1.6 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Swat and other areas of Malakand division in the country's northwest.
Ambassadors of different countries and local representatives of the donor agencies attended the meeting, according to the News Network International news agency.
Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani told the opening session that Pakistan is currently confronted with the menace of terrorism and is committed to eradicating this menace.
Gilani said the quantum of influx of IDPs required massive resources and the government was thus seeking larger assistance from the international community to handle the process urgently.
"Taking care of IDPs is the government's foremost responsibility. There is also an urgent need for a comprehensive response towards fighting the issue of terrorism," he said.
He said the government initiated multi-pronged actions against the miscreants in the affected parts of the northwest and the federally administered tribal areas (FATA).
He said aid would not only enable the IDPs to make a positive contribution to the development of their own community, which would also help in ensuring that the militants do not exploit the vulnerability of the displaced population.
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