KARACHI, March 26: A large number of individual Karachiites as well as government and private organisations switched off their unnecessary and non-operational lights on Saturday for an hour beginning at 8.30pm to mark Earth Hour. A document was also signed to declare Karachi the Earth Hour city.

A largely attended public event was organised at the Quaid-i-Azam's mausoleum in the evening, where a large number of people gathered at around 8pm. Lights were switched off at around 8.30pm and people lit candles, followed by a walk held to highlight the pledge to conserve natural resources.

Most lights at all major government as well as private buildings were switched off at 8.30pm for an hour to express solidarity with the world community in its effort to protect natural resources and wisely use energy, which was also leading to climate change, global warming that led to glacier melt resulting in the sea level rise that would severely affect and submerge coastal countries below or at par with the current sea level.

The day started with a declaration signing between the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency chief Naeem Mughal and City District Government Karachi official Masood Alam, where Karachi was declared the Earth Hour city.

A declaration signing ceremony was also held at the PIA head office where the defence minister and PIA chairman Ahmed Mukhtar and the airline's managing director, Nadeem Yusufzai, signed the document pledging that energy conservation would be strictly observed in the airline.

They also directed that all non-essential and 50 per cent of the non-operational lights be switched off during Earth Hour. Air-conditioners and other electrical appliances would also be switched off during the lunch and other breaks.

A similar declaration signing ceremony was held at Karachi airport's Jinnah Terminal where the Civil Aviation Authority's safety and quality management systems acting director, Sumair Saeed, signed the paper pledging that the organisation would conserve energy. He said 50 per cent of the non-operational lights would be switched off at the four major airports – Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Peshawar – at 8.30pm. He said directives had also been issued to all airport managers to switch off unnecessary lights and air-conditioners during breaks.

Meanwhile, President Asif Zardari in his message on the eve of the Earth Hour had urged the people to switch off lights for one hour on Saturday at 8.30pm and express solidarity with the world community in conserving fast-depleting natural resources.

He said the conservation of energy would make it available for other worthwhile uses besides inculcating the habit of shunning extravagance and helping create a sustainable environment. The world is a global village with finite resources which must be used in a manner that brought maximum good to the maximum number of people, he had added.

The earth hour started in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 when over 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change. The idea became popular immediately and within a year Earth Hour had become a global movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating in it.

In March 2009, hundreds of millions of people took part in the third Earth Hour and over 4,000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off their lights to pledge their support to the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world's largest global climate change initiative.

Last year on March 27 Earth Hour 2010 became the biggest Earth Hour ever as a record 121 countries and territories joined the global display of climate action. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Asia Pacific to Europe and Africa to the Americas switched off lights. People from across the world from all walks of life turned off their lights and came together in celebration and contemplation of one thing that is common to all – the planet Earth.

This year over 134 countries and territories – including the G-20 countries – eight out of 10 most populous cities, 25 of the world megacities, 79 capital cities etc are participating.