Eradication of cancer: amendments to bill on environment suggested

There should be some amendments to Pakistan Environmental Protection Bill regarding human health and environment as it has no proper provision to eradicate fatal diseases such as cancer. This was stated by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed while speaking at meeting of Senate standing committee on climate change that met here with Senator Mir Muhammad Yousaf Bacilini in the chair.
Mushahid said according to US FDA, cigarette and processed red meat are major causes of cancer therefore the present bill should be amended to take effective steps for eradication of cancer. Arif Ahmad Khan, secretary ministry of climate change said that they will submit a draft law or a proposal regarding bringing out an alternate way within 15 days before the committee.
Mushahid said meeting of the committee held at an important time as mega conference is going to be held in France regarding climate change and its affects after three weeks. "The present government has started focus on the issue of climate change and the relevant institution has started preparation for the conference," he said. About the question of former senator Sabina Rauf regarding the steps proposed to be taken by the government to protect the forest in the country, the committee was informed that the total forest area in Pakistan is five percent which is needed to be 12 percent.
"The ministry of climate change has prepared a comprehensive policy to stop cutting of forest in the country," a senior official of ministry told the committee. He said that the increase of forest area in Pakistan is possible through public-private partnership. "During the last five years, 408 million trees have been planted in different parts of the country," he said. He said the World Bank will provide $3.8 million for plantation of Mangora saplings in the coastal areas of the country.
The official said the federal government has devised a policy on climate change and also prepared a framework. "The policy has been shared with chief secretaries of four provinces and they have asked to include changes in policy in developmental schemes," he said.