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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.