PM renews pledge for clean, green Pakistan
Imran Khan says Billion Tree Tsunami drive producing incredible results
ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said the government’s Billion Tree Tsunami campaign is producing incredible results as barren hills of Matta area of Swat are turning green.
In a tweet, he expressed the firm belief that his government’s campaign will leave a clean and green Pakistan for future generations. He also attached a video showing incredible results of the Billion Tree Tsunami campaign in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “InshaAllah, we will leave a clean and green Pakistan for future generations,” he added.
On June 27, Prime Minister Khan had urged the nation to gear up for “the biggest tree planting campaign in our history”. “I want all Pakistanis, especially our youth, to gear up for the biggest tree planting campaign in our history. We have a lot of catching up to do,” the premier said on Twitter.
“And we will be gearing up this monsoon season for our plantation drive - the biggest in Pakistan’s history,” he added.
On June 3, Imran Khan had said Pakistan must achieve the target of planting 10 billion trees to protect future generations and play its due role in mitigating global warming.
“Pakistan is among the 10 most vulnerable countries with regard to global warming,” he added.
“The country must play its part in saving the world from global warming,” the PM said, urging to grow more national forests, increase the number of trees and invest in urban forestry.
Citing the example of China and Indonesia, he observed that Pakistan could learn a lot from these countries in terms of green innovations.
“Pakistan’s future lies in these efforts! We have taken our natural resources for granted, but now is the time [to care for them],” he remarked.
The premier termed the growth of mangrove forests a good omen for the country. “No other forests witnessed such growth,” he said.
“We started the billion tree initiative in 2013, now we have to raise awareness about it,” he added.
“Pakistan will take the lead in tackling the challenges of global warming and carbon emissions”.
He warned that if the green cause was ignored today, the country will reach a point of no return.
In August last year, the Prime Minister had launched the largest tree plantation drive in the history of Pakistan as the ruling party commemorated the ‘Tiger Force.