ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Friday kicked off the Spring Tree Planting Campaign 2018 by planting a sapling at the PM Office in Islamabad with a pledge for a greener Pakistan.
Under the campaign, saplings would be planted across the Country for a healthier and sustainable environment.
The Minister for Climate Change Senator Mushahid Ullah Khan and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) lawmaker in the National Assembly Romina Khurshid Alam accompanied the prime minister.
Prayers were offered for the success of the campaign, a part of massive tree planting programme for all parts of the Country through Green Pakistan Program.
The programme envisages planting of 100 million additional saplings to make Pakistan Greener. The total cost of the Programme is Rs 3.652 billion for the period 2016-2021.
While speaking on the occasion, the prime minister urged all Pakistanis particularly farming community, students, parliamentarians, professionals of various fields and women to actively participate in the Spring Tree Planting Campaign 2018 by planting maximum trees.
The campaign gains all the more importance in view of the fact that Pakistan’s natural forests are under persistent threat of depletion due to erratic climate change, heavy demand of wood for human habitation, firewood and other wood based industries.
Taking cognisance of the situation the government is taking keen interest in the promotion of forestry and increasing the forest cover in the Country.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) would join the campaign from February 15 and would plant saplings in collaboration with various non-government organisations, schools, colleges and universities.
The campaign would focus parks, Margalla hills and the green belts to make the Federal Capital greener for healthy environment.
