A PHILOSOPHER once remarked that a politician thinks of the present era, while a leader thinks of generations. Hats off to the PTI, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and Imran Khan for not only conceiving the idea of planting one billion trees, but also for its implementation, at the same time, tightening the noose around the timber mafia.

While politicians are building motorways and metros, with involvement in kickbacks and commissions, leaders are thinking of saving the environment for coming generations.

Pakistan is a most polluted country with minimal or no genuine regulations and effective regulatory bodies for vehicular and industrial emissions. Pakistanis are faced with several allergies and respiratory diseases.

Also, there exist no regulations on disposal of waste and burning of garbage. For years now, in PECHS, Karachi, adjacent to a government school, every week at least once a huge pile of garbage, if not picked up on time by the garbage trucks, is put on fire, smoke and ash of which are seen and felt for days.

Bill Gates has applauded the efforts of Imran Khan for the eradication of polio. Hopefully, soon his attention will get drawn towards this initiative as well.

One hopes the Sindh government too should take such initiatives.

It is also hoped and prayed that the army chief should consider the request of Mr Khan for allotment of land in DHA, Karachi, for a cancer hospital.

Karachi has been neglected in the last seven years. People want change and freedom from fear, extortion, targeted killings and the shackles of status quo. Election for NA-246 would be a litmus test.

Abdul Salam Dadabhoy
Karachi

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2015

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