Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf inaugurated the monsoon tree plantation campaign by planting a sapling at Prime Minister’s House on Wednesday morning. He prayed for the security and solidarity of the country and welfare of the people of Pakistan, after planting the sapling.
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that a greener environment is vital for a healthy nation. He maintained that indigenous, fast growing and environment friendly varities must be preferred for plantation to ensure a pollution free environment.
The Prime Minister directed CDA to devise an effective strategy to involve general public apart from NGOs and civil society in this campaign. He further said that an awareness campaign should also be launched to motivate the people in this regard.
The Prime Minister said that Ministry of Environment, Ministry of food and Agriculture and CDA should work in unison for the improvement of environment in the country and plantation of trees can play a very important role to achieve this objective. Pakistan is blessed with plenty of rains and fertile soil, and therefore we should plant trees which are fast growing, said the Prime Minister.
The Chairman CDA, Eng. Farkhund Iqbal briefed the Prime Minister that CDA plans to plant one million plants this year out of which 500,000 saplings will be planted during this campaign. It had already planted 250,000 saplings so far, he added.
The Chairman CDA informed the Prime Minister that saplings are produced indigenously in CDA nurseries and provided to the people. The plantation of saplings of local species, pines, amaltas and jamun would be completed by 30th of September, he added.
Minister for Environment Change Rana Farooq, Minister for Food and Agriculture Mir Israr Ullah Zehri and Advisor to Prime Minister on Human Rights Mr. Mustafa Nawaz khokhar were also present on the occasion.