Professor A Javed, President of the Pakistan Chest Society, has stated that, due to failures to check on the use of asbestos, the cancer known as mesothelioma is on the rise in the North West Frontier Province.

Professor Javed, speaking on World Environment Day, stated: “ We have been receiving 100 cases of mesothelioma a year which very alarming .” He also went on to say that there could be up to a thousand additional cases that had as yet gone undiagnosed.

The professor claims that asbestos is found in rocks, which are then used in a variety of industries including stone-crushing factories. He claims that this contributes to the rising number of mesothelioma victims. He also claims that asbestos was used in a talcum powder, which was responsible for up to fifteen percent of the mesothelioma cases.

Dr Javed’s aim is to highlight the importance of tightening laws relating to asbestos mining, and amending the Environmental Protection Act to ensure that mining cannot be done without proper licenses and regular checks. The professor’s speech was accompanied by a film showing coalmine workers, who had no protection and were exposed to numerous life-threatening hazards. It was pointed out that it was the government’s responsibility to take the necessary action on behalf of such workers.