PESHAWAR, April 10: The vehicle emission testing centre (VETC) has passed only 55 per cent vehicles, out of 85,000, since 1997, said an official handout.

It said provincial minister for environment, Tahir Iqbal, who visited the Pakistan forest institute and the VETC, was briefed about environmental hazards in the city here on Thursday.

The minister said that the government would provide the VETC   required technology and trained engineers.

He stressed the need for boosting forestry in the province, saying for this purpose the coordination among concerned government departments and stakeholders is necessary.

He urged the researchers at the forest institute to work on developmental projects. He assured them that such projects would be considered on priority basis as there was a need to boost forestry by growing such species of trees which are commercially profitable.

He said that the institute can use the land owned by the government for the research and development of nurseries.