Plantation drives across Pakistan on International Forests Day

E-Paper | June 05, 2026

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada on Monday said that the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had gifted 2,000 Snowber trees to the Sports Complex Islamabad, out of which 1,000 had been planted.

KP govt has announced to plant one billion trees in the province. —Photo courtesy PTI

He apprised the Senate Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination that the federal government had signed a memorandum of understanding with Pakistan Agricultural Research Council to plant fruit trees on five acres land and olive trees on one acre land.

Plantation at centennial high school in Battagram. —Photo courtesy KP govt

This he said on the eve of International Day of Forests, as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government announced to plant one billion trees in the province.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan, accompanied by KP Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak, planted trees at Regi Model Town in Peshawar.

Imran Khan, accompanied by Pervaiz Khattak, planted trees at Regi Model Town. —Photo courtesy PTI

Plantation drive at Regi Model Town. —Photo courtesy PTI

The officials and employees of KP government also planted trees in different areas of the province to mark the day.

The theme of International Day of Forest this year is “forests and water”. The day was marked with an objective to protect forests from damages and promoting forestry to tackle the challenges of global warming.

Students planting trees at Regi Model Town. —Photo courtesy PTI

Plantation at Girls Degree College in Battagram. —Photo courtesy KP govt

Plantation of more and more trees across the country is vital to fight climate change-induced disasters, said climate experts.

Commandant Dir Task Force Col Khalid Mehmood planting a Deodar tree at Dir Scouts' Head quarter Balambat. —Photo courtesy KP govt

Meanwhile, Pakistan Navy in line with the prime minister’s vision of 'Green Pakistan' launched mangroves plantation campaign in the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan.

Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah inaugurated the campaign and called it an initiative to plant additional mangroves as well as to create awareness among masses about the significance of mangroves in a bid to support the nature.

Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah plants a mangrove. —APP

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Pakistan

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Mar 21, 2016 08:55pm

Absolutely heartening to see the effort by people and KP government. Bravo and Salam.

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Javed

Mar 22, 2016 01:49am

An excellent initiative taken by KPK government, it is comforting to see that 'School Teachers' are leading the students from the front. Why Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Gilgit Baltistan governments are still in the slumber state?

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Syed Shoaib

Mar 22, 2016 02:16am

Charagh Talay Andhera? Why Pakistan is spending billions of Rupees per year by importing cooking oil, when it can get the most expensive and healthiest Olive Oil by growing Olive Trees at home? It was simply mindbogglingly to know that Olive Tree was the native tree of Persia (now Iran). The following excerpts may open the eye of our Agricultural Department. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive ...olive tree as we know it today had its origin approximately 6,000 -7,000 years ago in the region corresponding to ancient Persia.... ......Olives are not native to the Americas. Spanish colonists brought the olive to .. Peru and Chile....Spanish missionaries established the tree in the 18th century in California. ....Japan the first successful planting of olive trees happened in 1908 .... It is estimated that there are about 865 million olive trees in the world today (as of 2005).... One hope, government will plant Olive Trees all over Pakistan to cut down her Edible Oil Import bill.

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Mustafa

Mar 22, 2016 03:07am

Each province should declare the plantation of at least one billion plants. KP must not be alone in doing this.

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W G Sheikh

Mar 22, 2016 03:11am

While growing up, I had this passion of planting trees. My father was a civil servant and we moved from one station to other, after every few years. During early spring, like today, I remember, I would go out around the house (we always had a lot of area surrounding the government bungalow), call up all the servants, including the cook, and we would move the off-shoots (that crop up under various trees) to different key places around the house. Everyone would get excited - we would talk, tell stories, and would end up planting 20 to 25 trees by the end of the day. We all had a lot of fun. We would take turns watering them. Last year, I visited one of those bungalows (after 40 years or so). I went around the back garden, here they were - all fully grown-up. I hugged a few, tried to wrap my arms around some. The tears just rushed out; I was crying; I do not know why?

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The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Mar 22, 2016 06:48am

PTI led KPK government seems to be the only government that is serious about both conventional and non-conventional issues and challenges facing the Nation. Well done and keep it up. Good job by Armed forces and Paramilitaries as well. Hope this "Green Ribbon" campaign catches up in the rest of the country as well.

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green man

Mar 22, 2016 08:11am

real change that will last till generations to come. vision of one Man changing Pakistan

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Hammad Haider

Mar 22, 2016 08:36am

Thank you Imran Khan!

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Nomi

Mar 22, 2016 09:22am

Thumbs up IK and GO KPK for this most needed and important initiate.

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Arsh

Mar 22, 2016 09:43am

i read a banner by Forest Department Punjab, "AJ BOTA LAWAN GE KAL KATAN GE" I asked the person administrating the banner hanging. I said, this is wrong message. Plants not planted to cut, these should be forever. He had no answer. Just like any other event in Pakistan, it is a photo session campaign.

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Partab R. Parmar

Mar 22, 2016 10:59am

Excellent efforts, where it is in karachi..........?? i want to become a part of this campaign...........i want my pak...ma karachi should always shine like greeen greeen ..!!!!

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Gbian

Mar 22, 2016 11:58pm

@Partab R. Parmar Karachi is a concrete jungle and there is no place to plant in urban or commercial centres..

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Tamilselvan

Mar 23, 2016 01:04am

@W G Sheikh . Understand it's a wonderful feeling. If there is something we can plant and leave it for the future generation it's fruit bearing trees.

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Dr.Cajetan Coelho

Mar 23, 2016 02:34am

Plantation Drives - meaningful initiatives to keeping our Planet fit to welcome new generations of citizens.

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flipflop

Mar 23, 2016 06:52am

Good to hear that something is being done to promote amd preserve our environment, and natural habitat for animals and critters etc.. I do hope that these plants are native to the area otherwise it may have negative impacts on the local species..

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Aatir Ehrar

Mar 23, 2016 02:02pm

I love planting trees as well.Excellent Initiative.

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