QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani on Sunday kicked off the Pakistan Day tree plantation campaign in the province.

“Tree plantation has been termed Sadqa-i-Jariya in Islam. Every individual of our society should participate in the Pakistan Day plantation campaign in order to secure environment for future generations,” the chief minister said while speaking at a ceremony.

The provincial government has planned to plant one million saplings during the campaign and 100,000 saplings have already been planted.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan’s initiative of planting one billion saplings has been progressing rapidly across the province, which would increase forest cover in Pakistan,” Mr Alyani said. “In order to mitigate climate change effects we have to plant more trees.”

He said due to lack of rains a majority of areas in Balochistan had been hit with drought so “we should participate in the tree plantation campaign with a pledge of taking good care of saplings”.

Adviser to the CM on Sport, Culture and Tourism Abdul Khaliq Hazara and tribal elders also attended the ceremony.

The chief minister reviewed progress on various plantation campaigns in the Alamdar Road area and Marriabad organised by local volunteers and lauded their efforts to secure environment.

Meanwhile, the Frontier Corps launched the tree plantation campaign across the province.

The main ceremony of the campaign was held at the FC headquarters where Balochistan FC IG Major General Fayaz Hussain Shah planted a sapling and prayed for a green Pakistan.

Speaking at the ceremony, he said every single soldier of Frontier Corps had been taking part in the campaign in order to make Balochistan green.

“Trees and saplings will secure our environment from climate effects and it will restore beauty of Balochistan.”

Major General Fayaz called upon all citizens to plant saplings in their houses or streets.

“We can’t escape by planting trees and saplings but their nourishment and good care also comes in our responsibilities.”

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2019