QUETTA, Sept 28: Federal Minister for Environment, Local Bodies and Rural Development Barrister Shahida Jameel has said environment protection has become an important pillar of sustainable economic and industrial uplift the world over.

Speaking at the inaugural function of the newly-constructed building of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) here on Saturday, Shahida said the recently-concluded Johannesburg conference had laid emphasis on three points in the development plans: economic development, special uplift and environmental protection.

If these points were not taken into account while planning of projects, no international agency would be ready to support it, she commented.

She said Pakistan was also pursuing the policy of environmental protection, and the president had already approved the National Environmental Action Plan for which the IMF had agreed to give Rs44 million.—APP