ISLAMABAD: As many as 2.5 million seedlings of exotic flowers have been planted on multiple median strips, roundabouts and other areas.

Director general of CDA’s Environment Wing Irfan Khan Niazi told this agency that the flower seedlings were planted before the start of spring, which he believed, was the most ideal weather for their growth.

“We have planted different contrasted and multi-striped varieties of decorative flowers including petunia in white, blue, yellow, pink and red shades,” he said terming them the most attractive and long-lasting spring plants that would grow till the end of June.

As Islamabad is enriched with great fauna, the CDA was striving to adorn all major thoroughfares including 7th and Constitutional avenues, Srinagar and Islamabad highways with beautiful flowers and plants, Mr Niazi said.

For the very first time, a special flower scheme has also been designed with colourful flowers on different attractive patterns for the public in F-9 Park, he said, adding the civic body was leaving no stone unturned to clean and beautify Islamabad but the city administration needed cooperation of the citizens.

Numl hosts spring festival

A week-long Spring festival has begun at the National University of Modern Languages (Numl), Islamabad.

The event was inaugurated by rector of the university retired Major General Mohammad Jaffar along with Ambassador of Republic of Korea Suh Sangpyo, Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia representative Dr Esam Sharf M. Almalki, head of the Supportive Services Department, Consular Affairs and Citizens Services Embassy of United Arab Emirates (UAE) Hussain Abdullah Al-Baloshi. Numl Director General Brig Syed Nadir Ali, pro-rectors (Academics and Research), registrar, directors, HODs, faculty members and students attended the inaugural ceremony.

The university’s rector said Pakistan was such a beautiful country and it has a unique cultural diversity, adding every culture of the motherland is beautiful and is unique. Today, the students of Numl showed the world that Pakistanis are one nation and they respect each others’ culture and know how to celebrate their respective cultural diversity with such humbleness and brotherhood, he added.

He encouraged students who participated in cultural activities and later visited various cultural stalls from various countries, regional cultural stalls, book stalls and food stalls. Spring is being celebrated at the university from March 14 till 18th in which various activities like cultural, sports, co-curricular and entrepreneurial events will be held.

International stalls by embassies will also be set up. Pakistani culture was depicted through performances in regional languages whereas the honourable guests from various embassies encouraged students on their performances.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2022