ISLAMABAD: Spearheading “Prime Minister’s Clean & Green Islamabad Campaign” among academia, National University of Sciences and Technology (Nust) launched the spring tree plantation drive on Wednesday.

Minister of State for Interior, Shehryar Khan Afridi, inaugurated the environment-friendly campaign by planting an olive tree.

Retired Lt Gen Naweed Zaman, Rector Nust also planted an olive tree.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister eulogised Nust both for its on- and off-campus contributions towards reinstating and enhancing forestry across Islamabad and other parts of Pakistan.

He urged the students to extend their full support to the Islamabad administration to achieve the target of planting 1 million trees in the Capital.

He said Pakistani youth was second-to-none, and they had proved their dynamism globally on several occasions. Retired Maj Gen Jahangir Khan, Nust Pro-Rector Planning & Resources (P&R), apprised the audience that over 35, 000 plants, including 12,000 seed balls, will be planted during the 2019 drives in the areas earmarked for plantation across the H-12 campus.

Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat shared highlights of the Islamabad administration in making the city clean and green.

Earlier, an overwhelming number of students, faculty and their families enthusiastically took part in the marathon at the campus that culminated at the plantation site. The minister awarded prizes to the winners of various categories.

A spokesperson for Nust said that university over the years has been effervescently conducting on-campus plantation drives and has planted over 75, 000 trees in 2018 in Islamabad campus alone.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2019