PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan formally inaugurated the Tiger Force Tree Plantation Drive in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday. He inaugurated the campaign by planting saplings at Regi Lalma Town and Bacha Khan International Airport, Peshawar.

Speaking at a ceremony at Regi Lalma Town, Peshawar, the chief minister appreciated the sentiments of the people who participated in the campaign, particularly enthusiasm of the Tiger Force, and said that tree plantation was not a new initiative for the province and its people.

He said that over 1.2 billion trees had already been planted in the province during the last five years which had been acknowledged all over the world. Under the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Project at national level, over 1.2 billion more saplings would also be planted in the province during the current five-year term.

The chief minister said that plantation drive was in full swing in the province, but participation of the Tiger Force in the drive was highly admirable. “We will take full advantage of the potential of this force not only in plantation, but other projects initiated for the wellbeing of the people,” he said.

On the Tiger Force Day, tree plantation campaigns have been held at 853 sites of the province under which one million saplings had been planted only in Peshawar division and 2.5 million saplings in rest of the province.

Members of the provincial cabinet, senators and MPAs led the plantation drives in their constituencies.

Earlier, briefing the chief minister, Bacha Khan airport manager Ubaidur Rehman Abbasi said that the Civil Aviation Authority had initiated Green Pakistan Plantation Drive under which saplings were being planted at the airports.

In Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani launched the tree plantation campaign at Shimla Hill. He said that they had set the target of planting 3.5 million trees in the current campaign. He said that the Tiger Force would be the front force in all sectors of life in future.

In Lakki Marwat, the district administration with the support of forest department achieved the target of planting around 10,000 saplings in a day under monsoon plantation campaign. Volunteers of PM’s Tiger Force and civil society activists took part in the activity held on Sunday.

In Lower Dir, the district administration and forest and youth affairs departments jointly observed the Tiger Force Day on Sunday. Functions were held in Timergara, Chakdara and Shahi where the participants planted saplings. MPA Shafiullah Khan kicked off the drive during a function.

Similar functions were also held in Mohmand and Bajaur tribal districts, Shangla, Battagram, Kohat and Nowshera where elected representatives and administration officials inaugurated the Tiger Force Day tree plantation campaign.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2020