RAWALPINDI, Aug 21: Participants of a workshop here on Thursday asked policy-makers to formulate and implement environment-friendly laws to check environmental degradation in the country.

The six-day workshop, “Environmental concerns and its management strategies”, which concluded on Thursday, was organized by the Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission.

Fatima Jinnah Women University Vice-Chancellor Najma Najam lamented the lethargy of the quarters concerned in protecting environment.

She said the recent oil-tanker tragedy in Karachi could have been avoided had our policy-makers known the value of a preserved nature for the survival of human beings as well as other creatures.

Arranging workshops and seminars on environment-related issues in the backward areas of the country was the need of the hour as majority of people were unaware of environmental issues, she added.

Dr Makshoop Athar, a professor at the Islamia University, Bahawalpur, said recent carpet-bombings by United States in Afghanistan and Iraq had damaged environment beyond imagination. Citing the example of the atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima by the US, he said powerful countries had always played havoc with environment for achieving their interests.

Earlier, a brain-storming session of discussion was held among the participants and resource persons, who highlighted a number of issues and suggested some remedies.