ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif yesterday gave approval of “Green Pakistan Programme” to improve forestry and wildlife sectors in Pakistan with management of wildlife and reclaiming and developing forest areas in aid of the provincial government as its main aspects.
Preservation and management of forest and wildlife resources of the country need to be adequately developed in line with the best international practices, he said.
All the relevant Federal and Provincial Ministries and agencies will be facilitated to fulfil the task so that the desired objectives of forests preservation and wildlife protection is achieved, directed the Prime Minister.
Ministry of Climate Change has consulted all the four federating units, GB, AJK and FATA, prior to development of the roadmap. The initiative will ensure far-reaching reforms in forestry and wildlife sectors of the country.
Assessment of forest resource depletion, use of modern technology and development of immediate and long term forest resource expansion plans are some of the salient features of the Green Pakistan Programme.
The Prime Minister has directed Ministry of Climate Change to develop a proposal for strengthening Zoological Survey of Pakistan to immediately undertake inventory of endangered wildlife species and habitats across Pakistan.
The Prime Minister has also issued directions for revival and management of internationally recognised wildlife habitats including Khunjrab National Park (GB), Khirthar National Park (Sindh), Hingol National Park (Balochistan), Chitral Gol National Park (KPK), Lal Suhana National Park and Salt Range area (Punjab), Machiara National Park (AJK) and Margalla Hills National Park (ICT). The institutional and administrative steps for protection of habitat and inventory for endangered wildlife species will help a great to deal to achieve the desired goals. 
Ministries of Climate Change and Science & Technology will lead the regular stock-take of deforestation and forest degradation on periodic basis for producing “Report on State of Forestry in Pakistan”.
GIS laboratory in Punjab and Forest Inventory in KP Environment will help in maintaining the report while SUPARCO will extend technical support in the form of providing of images.
The Prime Minister will lead the Green Pakistan Programme on the pattern of “Green Green Wall Programme” of China which will target to add 100 million new plants over next five years all over the country.
This includes 1000 Avenue Miles of Canal Side & Roadside Plantations in Punjab, KPK and Sindh, plantations at Changa Manga, Darphar, Bahawalpur and Chichawatni. Mangroves forests in Karachi and Badin alongwith hill forests of Khirthar range in Sindh, Juniper forests of Ziarat and Chilghoza forest in Suleiman Ranges of Balochistan and areas in GB, AJK, Murree, Hazara, Kotli Sattian, Malakand, FATA (Orakzai, North Waziristan,etc) are some of the locations for the plantations.
The Federal Government will have an effective and steering role in all initiatives under the umbrella of Revival of Forestry & Wildlife Resources in Pakistan.
About 50 per cent of the funding requirement will be contributed by the Federal Government while the remaining 50 per cent is to be spent by the concerned provincial government/region.