This Act principally makes provision for administration of matters affecting the environment and, marginally, for environmental impact assessment and the handling of hazardous matters. It also defines environmental offences and prescribes penalties for those offences.; The Act provides for the establishment of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Council, the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency, Provincial Sustainable Development Funds, and Environmental Tribunals. The Council shall coordinate and supervise national environmental policy and ensure the implementation of a national conservation strategy. It shall approve National Environmental Quality Standards and provide guidelines for the protection and conservation of species, habitat and biodiversity. The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency is headed by a Director General and shall administer and implement provisions of this Act, prepare national environmental policies and a National Environment Report, and National Environmental Quality Standards. Its tasks are outlined in detail in section 6 and its powers in section 7. Every provincial government shall establish an Environmental Protection Agency and delegate powers to such Agency. The Provincial Sustainable Development Funds shall be established for each province. No proponent of a project shall commence construction or operations without having filed with the Government Agency an initial environmental examination or an environmental impact assessment and having received subsequent approval of the proposed operations from the Agency.; Provisions on the handling of hazardous substances are given in section 14. Environmental Tribunals shall be established by the Federal Government who shall specify territorial jurisdiction of each Tribunal. Contravention of provisions of this Act shall be submitted to the Tribunal for its decision by authorities or aggrieved persons.
Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997 (Act No. XXXIV of 1997).