LAHORE: Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has said bringing a “green revolution” in Pakistan was the flagship programme of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government, adding that the Clean & Green Pakistan Programme launched by the prime minister last year was being successfully run.

He was addressing a ceremony held under a sapling planting campaign aimed at restoration of forests in Kundian area of Mianwali, a handout issued on Sunday said.

Addressing the campaign launching ceremony in Saraiki language, Buzdar said 50 crore saplings would be planted at a cost of Rs26 billion in the next four years.

He said a clean and green environment was not only necessary for the present, but also for the future generations as well.

He said the target of planting 100 million saplings had been set for Punjab during the current year.

He said the Kundian forests stretched over an area of 20,000 acres, while 4 million saplings would be planted on 5,500 acres in the next four years.

He said that restoration of Kundian forests would protect the area and its wildlife from the impact of climate change, besides creating jobs.

He said the Punjab government had started Municipal Services Programme at a cost of Rs24 billion and under it the elected representatives had started providing different services to the people in their respective areas.

He said the porblems being faced by the people of Mianwali were being solved on priority basis.

The chief minister launched the campaign by planting a sapling of Palkan tree, while around 1,200 student of various schools also planted the saplings during the ceremony.

Forests Minister Sibtain Khan, addressing the ceremony, said his department had so far planted 2.6 million saplings in the province and on Sunday 0.35m more saplings were being planted.

He claimed 150,000 people would get jobs in the current year, whereas job opportunities for 0.5m others would be created in the next four years. He said the fine for the wood theft had been increased five times to check the illegal practice.

Meanwhile, Mr Buzdar has said Prime Minister Imran Khan has exposed “big personalities” who were involved in massive corruption.

In a statement issued on Sunday, he said the virus of corruption committed by previous governments had weakened the roots of Pakistan.

He added that the opposition parties had no other agenda but saving their corruption.

He said the PTI government had been given five-year mandate by the people and it would come up to their expectations and complete its tenure.

The chief minister will lay the foundation stone of Mother & Child Hospital Project in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital today (Monday).

The 600-bed hospital will be set up at a cost of Rs7 billion, while Rs4 billion will be spent on the construction of its 10-storey building. The remaining amount will be used for procurement of medical equipment and machinery for the hospital that will provide modern healthcare facilities for the mothers and the newborns.

It will have 13 operation theatres and a modern emergency ward.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2020