Europe responded swiftly to Saturday's devastating earthquake in South Asia, pledging emergency funds, aid and search-and-rescue equipment as well as condolences for the victims. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said he would welcome aid from foreign countries.
The Prime Minister also said Pakistan may cooperate with India for relief work in the worst-hit area, which is near the Line of Control. "We have set up the President's Relief Fund for the earthquake victims and we welcome financial donations for the fund," the Prime Minister told the BBC.
He said his country would need foreign help to rebuild homes in the worst affected areas where, he said, more than half of the houses have been destroyed.
"It will be very difficult for them to survive" when the winter comes, he added.
"So we have said 'yes', we will take financial help from friends in the president's relief fund. That money can also be used to buy equipment locally like foodstuff and water etcetera."
The Prime Minister earlier visited a collapsed apartment block in Islamabad and flew over northern Pakistan to view the destruction.
"It was very traumatic," he said. Responding to a question about co-operation with India, he did not rule out the possibility that their armies could co-ordinate relief work.
"A hotline exists between Pakistani and Indian armies and if there is need to co-ordinate, the channels are open on both side," he added.
The European Union's executive arm earmarked up to three million euros (3.6 million dollars), while national governments scrambled to send help.
"We are all hoping that the news does not get steadily worse ... but we are fearful that the casualty figures may mount," said EU aid commissioner Louis Michel.
"We can already say that its ... a major disaster," said an EU spokesman at the end of the day, as the scale of the disaster became increasingly clear.
In Berlin, foreign minister Joschka Fischer said Germany had immediately released 50,000 euros to be made available to Pakistani authorities through Berlin's embassy in Islamabad.
The German Red Cross would be working with the Pakistani Red Crescent to bring relief to affected areas, and Berlin was in contact with the United Nations with regard to further humanitarian action, he said.
The French government said it was sending a 25-member emergency rescue team, along with sniffer dogs and cutting material, while foreign minister Philippe Douste-Blazy pledged in a statement to provide "any assistance which Pakistan could need."
"France is standing by Pakistan in this painful trial," said President Jacques Chirac in a message of support to his Pakistani counterpart Pervez Musharraf.
In Geneva, a seven-man UN team left for Islamabad to set up a "co-ordination and evaluation team" for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Turkey said it had sent two military planes to Pakistan carrying aid, doctors and rescue workers to help earthquake victims.
The planes' cargo included 21 rescue workers, 30 medical personnel, two ambulances, one transport vehicle and a towing truck, the prime minister's office said in a statement.
Turkey's Red Crescent has asked for three more planes to take aid to the quake victims, it said.
Turkey's military General Staff, government ministries, civil defence officials and Red Crescent are co-ordinating their relief effort with Pakistan's embassy in Ankara, the statement said.
Greece pledged to send a team of specialists including search and rescue experts, while Russia also voiced its solidarity with the countries battling to cope with the crisis.
The Irish government pledged an initial one million euros (1.2 million dollars) to assist with immediate needs such as food, shelter and other basic requirements.
Several British search and rescue teams were expected to depart by the end of Saturday.
In Brussels a spokesman initially said the EU's Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) was in touch with two organisations - Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) Netherlands and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
But later he said MSF Netherlands could not immediately use the funds, while other organisations were being contacted. The spokesman said an announcement was likely Sunday.
The most important thing was to find aid organisations which were already on the ground. "They can save more lives and faster. This is the priority of course," the spokesman told AFP.
The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) said it is supplying immediate assistance to Pakistan in the wake of Saturday's massive earthquake, adding in a region where one-fifth of the population is under age 5, the death toll among young children could be very high.
Unicef will work closely with Pakistani government to determine what additional relief supplies may be needed. It is standing by to mobilise needed supplies from its operations elsewhere in the region and from its global supply hub in Copenhagen.
UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman said in New York the agency is preparing for a response to match scale of disaster, noting that children make up half the population of affected areas.
US President George W. Bush sent condolences on Saturday after a powerful earthquake hit Pakistan.
"The president has been briefed and is aware of the earthquake and the terrible loss of life it has caused," Ken Lisaius, a White House spokesman, told reporters.
"The thoughts and prayers of the president and the first lady (Laura Bush) are with the families, friends and loved ones of the victims," the spokesman added.
US Secretary of State Dr Condoleeza Rice on Saturday telephoned foreign minister Khurshid Mehmud Kasuri and expressed deepest sympathy of US government on the death and destruction caused by a massive earthquake.
She offered all assistance to Pakistan government in relief and rescue efforts.
Dr Rice also directed the US ambassador in Islamabad Ryan Crocker to immediately get in touch with the Pakistan government to ascertain the extent of damage and assistance required.
UN secretary-general Kofi Annan is "deeply saddened by the loss of life and destruction" caused by the major earthquake, and he "extends his sincere condolences to all victims and their families," his spokesman said in a statement.
Chinese leaders, including President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, sent their condolences to Pakistan following Saturday's deadly earthquake, state media said.
In a message to President Pervez Musharraf, Hu expressed deep grief over those killed in the quake, the Xinhua news agency said late Saturday.
Wen and Chinese foreign minister Li Zhaoxing also sent messages to their Pakistani counterparts, Xinhua said.