A Children's Environment Day awareness programme event, organised jointly by the National Forum for Environment and Health (NFEH) and the Ramada Plaza Hotel, here on Thursday, turned out to be a tame affair.
The banner at the event, reading "Environment day and certificate distribution of Summer Camp-2008" held no relation to the promotion of environmental awareness as was indicated on the invitation sent out to the media. Several newsmen covering the programme walked out in sheer exasperation, as they felt there was nothing worth reporting.
Prominent personalities, including Nadia Gabol, Provincial Minister for Human Rights, Deputy-Speaker Shehla Raza of the Sindh Assembly and Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto, Sindh Minister for Women's Development, attended the function briefly. Gabol planted a sapling on the occasion to highlight the importance of plants and trees.
Children who participated in the summer camp as well as their parents attended the event. The children put on a fancy dress show and performed karate that they learnt at the camp. Issues related to the environment or health were conspicuously absent from the occasion.
Raza gave a brief speech and appreciated the efforts to impart knowledge and skills to children. She said that environment day is celebrated to create awareness amongst children. She added that the PPP established the environment ministry and the ministry for human rights. The Deputy-Speaker highlighted the contributions of PPP in her speech to the children and their parents. At the end of the occasion, Raza distributed certificates among the children who participated in summer camp.
Also speaking on the occasion, Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto also praised such summer camps saying that children can learn new things and contribute towards making the world a better place to live in. She said that a country with a better environment would produce better citizens. Bhutto added that it was necessary for healthy children to have healthy mothers.