Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar inaugurated the monsoon plantation campaign 2019 with the slogan that 'every person should plant two saplings' on the occasion of 'Plant for Pakistan Day' at Khudpur, Manga Mandi.
Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gull, Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Ameen Aslam, Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and a large number of scouts also planted trees and prayed for the success of campaign.
While addressing the inaugural ceremony of tree plantation campaign 2019, the chief minister announced to name the place allocated for tree plantation in Khudpur after Kashmir Park and said 50 acres of government's retrieved land dedicated to the Kashmiri brethren. He said the announcement to name one road in every district and one park in every division after Kashmir will soon be implemented. "We express complete solidarity with the Kashmiri people who are facing Indian brutalities in Occupied Kashmir," he said.
Usman Buzdar said law of polythene-free Punjab will soon be enforced and ban will soon be imposed on plastic bags in Punjab. Punjab government has already approved the summary of the ban which will soon be implemented after the approval of the next cabinet meeting. He said the target of increasing forest areas will be achieved in next four years. Billion tree projects will prove to be a game-changer in the environmental history of the country. He said tree plantation is among the top priorities of the PTI government and both, govt and civil society give due importance to the plantation. Billion Tree Tsunami project has been launched for bringing a green revolution in the country.
Billions of rupees have been allocated for protecting the forests and plantation. He said record 42 crores saplings would be planted for the first time in the history of Pakistan at government, private and defence lands in Punjab. Thousands of acres of land have been retrieved and is being given to the government institutions. The CM said plantation has been carried out after retrieving 50 acres of land from qabza mafia in Khudpur as it is the best use of state land. He said the students and people from different walks of life are included in this process.
Adviser to PM Malik Ameen Aslam said Prime Minister Imran Khan has dreamed about making Pakistan green and we all are gathered here for giving practical shape to his dream. Pakistan will be made clean and green. He said the ministry has received a grant of Rs 24 billion during the year for reducing environmental pollution.
Zartaj Gull said performance of Usman Buzdar is better than other provinces and this has been acknowledged in a report as well. She said Pakistan is rich in natural beauty but no planning was made in connection with protecting the environment during the last tenure. She said practical measures have been taken by the PTI government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan for giving the new generation a clean and green Pakistan.