Islamabad - Chairman Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan joined hands with Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid) leader Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed for promoting healthy environment in the country.
Sayed and Khan on Sunday addressed participants of ‘Keep Korang Klean (clean)’ programme as part of an awareness drive to sensitize locals of Islamabad about the urgent need of keeping the environment clean.
The event was organized by the Green Force, an Islamabad-based environmental organisation, in collaboration with Green Volunteers and Waste Busters here at Korang River.
Senator Sayed while addressing the participants strongly urged the need of clean and beautiful rivers for healthy environment, saying that the Korang River Klean awareness initiative would have long-term impacts on the local residents, who in turn will ensure not only its beauty and cleanliness but will promote awareness about environment for Islamabad also.
The objective of the event was to raise awareness to clean up the heavily-polluted Korang River and threats to the environment.
Chairman PTI Imran Khan showed up at the site to support the cause of the environment, mingled with the students and encouraged them greatly.
He said, “PTI and I are committed to the cause of promoting a clean environment in Islamabad and we will support this issue at all levels, from the grassroots to the parliament.”
Impressed by the pro-environment campaigns of Senator Sayed, Khan promised that he would direct PTI newly elected councillors in local government to ‘make clean environment a top priority in their work.’
He also highlighted the Billion Tree Tsunami campaign of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, which he claimed was considered as nation’s largest ever tree plantation drive.
Speaking on the occasion, Senator Syed regretted that criminal negligence of authorities in Islamabad had contributed alarmingly to the pollution of natural drains and sources of drinking water in the federal capital. He noted that the non-degradable plastic bags, sewage, chemical waste and other garbage are being thrown upstream into the river that polluted the drinking water being supplied to consumers in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Boosting the morale of participants, he also lauded the commitment and positive contribution of the Green Force to protect and preserve the natural beauty of Islamabad, terming to combat the environmental challenges as collective responsibility.
The PML-Q leader urged activists of civil society to play more proactive role in this regard and assured the participants that he, as parliamentarian representing the federal capital, would serve as the voice of a ‘Clean & Green Islamabad’ in the Senate.
About one hundred school students have taken part in the river clean-up competition, where 10 teams consisting of 10 children each, worked for one and a half hour tirelessly to collect garbage from the Korang River, which has suffered from massive pollution for decades.
Later prizes were distributed among the participants.