Nov. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Pakistan received pledges of $5.4 billion from international donors and lenders, more than the south Asian nation had sought, to rebuild cities and care for people devastated by last month's earthquake.

``We are committed to total transparency and total accountability, and we will make sure every cent we receive will go to earthquake-affected areas,'' Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said at the end of a donor conference. Promises were made for loans and aid, he said without elaborating.

The magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the northern Himalayan territory of Kashmir on Oct. 8, killing more than 74,000 people and leaving millions homeless. About 73,000 people died in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir and the North West Frontier province, and as many as 1,300 people in the Indian-run part of the region.

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf had sought $5.2 billion from international donors to help his nation's reconstruction effort and asked India to help resolve a long-running conflict over Kashmir.

``I urge the Indian government, the people of India and media of both countries to help resolve this dispute once and for all,'' Musharraf said. Pakistan can't overcome the tragedy alone, and needs $3.5 billion for infrastructure and $1.7 billion for rehabilitation and relief.

Musharraf, 62, addressed representatives from the U.S. and the U.K., the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank at a state-sponsored conference in Islamabad.

`Next Challenge'

``The next challenge for Pakistan would be to convert the more-than-expected pledges into actual cash,'' said Mohammed Sohail, a director at Jahangir Siddiqui Capital Markets Ltd. in Karachi. ``If the pledged amount is realized, the country's economy, fiscal deficit and foreign exchange reserves may be saved from a negative impact.''

The Asian Development Bank approved $1 billion in aid, Haruhiko Kuroda, president of the bank, told the conference.

``The bank will help Pakistan construct special homes for destitute women and children and will also help set up a seismic center and construct roads,'' he said.

The World Bank pledged $1 billion in soft loans to Pakistan for earthquake reconstruction. The lender will release $300 million this month, said Praful C. Patel, vice president South Asia region said at the conference.

Other aid announced at the conference included $500 million from the U.S., $375 million from the International Monetary Fund, $170 million from the U.K., $150 million from Turkey and $110 million from the European Union.

``Nobody can bring back the lives that were lost, but we can make the lives of the people better who are living in the open and in tents,'' UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the conference.

Kashmir, divided between India and Pakistan, has been the cause of three wars between the two countries since independence in 1947. The two nuclear-armed neighbors have been seeking to ease tensions since April 2003 after coming close to a fourth war the previous year.

Choke Points

Difficulties in reaching quake-affected people in the world's most mountainous region prompted India and Pakistan to open five crossing points along the Kashmir border this month, allowing the movement of aid and helping divided families meet.

Survivors of the earthquake had been facing the prospect of aid supplies being halted as UN-led relief effort ran short of money because donors hadn't responded to appeals for funds, Oxfam said Nov. 15.

More than five weeks after the quake struck, the UN had received only 22 percent of $550 million it requested for the emergency, the aid agency said.

Pakistan wants to provide shelter to almost all people affected by the quake by end of this month, when winter sets in and villages in the mountains get as much as 10 feet of snow, Musharraf said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Khalid Qayum in Islamabad, Pakistan at kqayum@bloomberg.net; Haris Zamir in Karachi at hzamir@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: November 19, 2005 07:32 EST