LAHORE, May 18: Syed Yahya Shah, Ali Ijaz, Dr Khalil and Nilofer were awarded the Syed Asad Ali Conservation Award and Living Planet Award at a ceremony held here on Wednesday.

Syed Yahya Shah from Gilgit Baltistan got Syed Asad Ali Award for working tirelessly to promote sustainable utilisation of natural resources in his area of influence with great success.

The same award was given to Ali Ijaz's documentary 'Missing Vultures' that created waves the world over and moved people to pay attention to the plight of the species vital to environment.

Dr Khalil and Ms Nilofar of the Karakoram International University's biological sciences department were given Living Planet Award for their project entitled 'Capacity Enhancement in Nature Conservation of Academic Institutions on Snow Leopard Distribution in Gilgit Baltistan and the Proper Ishkoman Development Organization (PIDO)' undertaken for biodiversity conservation model project in Ishkoman valley and its replication in adjacent valleys of Ghizer district.

The awards were given to the recipients by MPA and convener of the PML-N committee on environment Dr Saeed Elahi and industrialist Syed Babar Ali at a ceremony arranged by WWF–Pakistan as part of its commitment to rewarding excellence and innovation in conservation, environmental protection and sustainable development.

Syed Asad Ali Award for Nature Conservation was launched in 2000 to pay tribute to the eminent conservationist, late Syed Asad Ali, every year to an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to nature conservation in Pakistan.