Govt to plant 150m trees in three months, says PM’s adviser

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam on Friday said the government would plant 150 million trees in the next three months.

“We are fulfilling the promise of making Pakistan clean and green. We request people to take full part in the tree plantation campaign,” Malik Amin Aslam said during a visit to a land in Lahore where the trees would be planted.

The federal government has completed preparations for ‘Plant for Pakistan’ campaign. Prime Minister Imran Khan will inaugurate the campaign at Balloki area near Lahore.

He said that 2,500 acres of land had been retrieved from land mafia in the city. “For the first time in the history of Pakistan a land is reclaimed to grow it into a jungle by planting trees,” he said.

The jungle would eradicate the issue of smog-like weather in Lahore in the future, he said.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on January 31 sought details of the government policy on tree plantation across Punjab.

During hearing of a petition on non-plantation of trees in Punjab, Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general, Punjab Highway Authority (PHA) director general and officials of other relevant institutions turned up before the court.

The PHA DG had informed the court that Rs 27 billion were required for plantation of trees. The summary for expenditure on the project had been forwarded to the federal government and their reply was awaited, he had told the court.