LAHORE, July 10: A rare exhibition of photographs based on forests of Pakistan by Yasir Nisar opened at Alhamra Art Center, The Mall, on Tuesday.

The exhibition which has 100 or so photographs of the forested Pakistan attracted a large number of visitors, including environmentalists.

The exhibition aims at raising awareness among the public about the importance of preserving natural resources.

The exhibition was organized by Engro Polymer & Chemicals Limited (EPCL), a subsidiary of Engro Corporation.

The photographs feature sub-alpine coniferous forests, dry temperate coniferous forests, moist temperate coniferous forests, sub-tropical pines, dry-tropical broad-leaved forests, dry tropical thorn forests, riverain forests, mangroves, irrigated plantations and liner plantations.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, EPCL Chief Executive Officer Khalid Siraj Subhani said: “Forests represent the sheer strength of nature and consequently a nation, and as responsible corporate entities we believe it is our duty to protect and progress this natural endowment.”

He said the conservation campaign was fuelled by their two-pronged objective of conserving the natural resources of Pakistan and also educating the public on the richness of our forest cover.

The ECPL initiated the forest plantation and restoration campaign in 2009 with the forest departments of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, environmental non-governmental organizations and the WWF. Through a pan-Pakistan focus 256 hectares of forests have been planted under the campaign.

Earlier, the ECPL also collaborated with the WWF-Pakistan to plant mangroves along the shorelines of the Arabian Sea and to date over 150,000 saplings above man-height have been planted which serve as a breeding habitat for fish, prawns and other marine life, and offers venerable source of food to migratory birds.The ECPL focuses on active participation in social and community development programs targeting the community within which it operates. The exhibition is a testament to the company’s commitment to its forestation programme ‘The Go Green Drive’ initiated in 2009 and leads up to 2011 being declared the ‘International Year of Forests’ by the United Nations.

The exhibition will remain on display till July 18.