TAXILA: Provincial spokesman and PTI President Attock District Qazi Ahmed Akbar on Monday said 2.6 million saplings would be planted in the district in the current spring plantation campaign.

He expressed these views during the inauguration of the spring tree plantation campaign of the district in Jatiyal Town in Hazro on Monday.

Deputy Commissioner Ali Anan Qamar, District Forest Officer (DFO) Amir Abbas, Sub Divisional Police Officer DSP Zaigham Abbas, Iesco Executive Engineer Lalzada Khan, Municipal Committee Chief Officer Aftab Khan and members of the Tiger Force were also present on the occasion.

He said greenery and forestation were indispensable to control environmental pollution, leading towards global warming.

“We should plant as many trees as possible because life would be impossible without them,” he said, adding that many species of animals depend on trees for habitat as they provide shelter, food and protection to them.

He said the forest department was playing a dynamic role towards making Pakistan clean and green. He said he donated 100,000 saplings in the spring tree plantation campaign in 2020 and this year 200,000 saplings would be donated to schools, colleges, public and private institutions for plantation.

Mr Akbar on this occasion requested people to become an active part of the ongoing tree plantation drive under ‘Clean and Green Pakistan’ for success of this initiative.

Mr Qamar stressed the need for every individual to play a role in the campaign and make it a success. He said this year 1.2 million saplings in government forests, 65,000 saplings in defence area, 40,000 saplings in government institutes and 1.3 million saplings in private sector would be planted.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2021