'Clean and Green Pakistan': PM pledges yearly increase in allocation for initiative

Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday launched 'Clean and Green Pakistan' initiative across the country and pledged yearly increase in budgetary allocation for this purpose, saying that the people have started gradually paying taxes and the government's revenue is showing some increase.

Speaking after the launching ceremony, he stated, "The government will increase allocation for the purpose. The people are gradually paying taxes and the government revenue is increasing." The Prime Minister also urged the youth to become members of the campaign for the survival of future generation as environmental pollution in the rivers and canals is also contaminating the soil through seepage.

He said that this is the time that all Pakistanis including political representatives, people and especially the youth must join hands in the Clean and Green Pakistan campaign to mend the situation and save the country.

The role of the students, he said, is very important in this campaign as they could be driving force in the Clean and Green Pakistan because this is what is the most needed at this point of time for the future generations before it becomes too late. He also cited the example of Lahore and stated that only 35 years ago inhabitants of the city used to drink tap water. Today, he said, Lahore is most polluted city and contamination of drainage water in the land is also contaminating everything. Human greed has caused huge damage to the earth planet, the Premier said. Khan said that the last ten years saw the city losing seventy percent of its green cover and now the city is giving look of a concrete of cement and steels bars. The past governments played havoc with the environment and everything is now contaminated, he added.

"We are going to introduce the best local government system in Punjab and will also try to convince the provincial government to implement it for development as it would provide resources at the village level," he said and recounted that without participation of the people, plantation of one billion trees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would not have been possible. He said now as the government has initiated the campaign for making the entire country green with particular focus on the cities where specific areas will be identified for plantation, the people's participation is more needed then ever before to realize this objective.

The Prime Minister said that the country is blessed with immense resources whose utilization could help it stand on its own feet and diverse kinds of beauty can make the country a destination of tourism.