ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Monday his government would host an international donors’ conference to drum up funds for an exodus of people displaced by the Swat offensive.

The state says it has allocated one billion rupees for relief efforts, but critics warn that is a fraction of the money needed for reconstruction and law enforcement to win the war against the Taliban.

‘An international conference of donors will be convened shortly in Islamabad,’ Gilani told the parliament during a debate on the offensives in the northwest, which UN officials say has uprooted more than 360,000 people.

He said a prime minister’s relief fund had been established adding: ‘I appeal on all of you and philanthropists to donate generously to this fund’.

Gilani said military action against extremists was imperative.

‘The very existence of the country was at stake. We were left with no option,’ the prime minister said.

‘Militants challenged parliament, the judiciary, law enforcement agencies and the writ of the government, trying to destabilise the country,’ he said.

‘We will force them to lay down their arms and respect the writ of the government. The defence of the country is strong and we will defeat them.’

The prime minister recognised that military action was not a permanent solution and reeled off a list of requirements which would require funds.

‘We will have to strengthen the law enforcement agencies, enhance the capacity of the Frontier Corps and Frontier Constabulary, make police stations bomb-proof, and provide the latest vehicles and communication facilities to the security forces in the region.’

‘We will also have to acquire equipment to jam FM radio stations to block their anti-government propaganda,’ he added.