PM to kick off spring plantation drive on Feb 9

Country-wide campaign to start with afforestation of 2,500 acres of previously encroached land in Balloki

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan would kick off a spring plantation campaign under the ‘Plant for Pakistan’ project by planting a tree in Balloki in central Punjab. The government plans to plant 150 million trees as part of the campaign, including extending the drive to illegally occupied government property. This includes 2,500 acres of government land in Balloki that was previously encroached upon.

Advisor to Prime Minister on Climate Change Amin Aslam said that PM Imran would inaugurate the campaign by planting a tree in Balloki on February 9, as part of its plan to ensure afforestation of previously encroached land.

According to Aslam, the campaign will continue after the inauguration in Balloki. “As many as 150 million trees would collectively be planted during the campaign,” he said, adding that it was part of the government’s promise for massive countrywide afforestation.

A total of five million trees are expected to be planted on the inauguration day. The drive will see the participation of different institutions including the armed forces, police, civil armed forces, local bodies, corporations, municipalities, sovereign and semi-sovereign institutes, industrial states, hospitals, agricultural farms, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Auqaf Department, prisons as well as educational institutions.

According to the available information, the armed forces would start plantation February 12 while civic bodies would start on February 13. Further, the hospitals would participate in the drive on February 14. The Auqaf Department, CAA and Jails on February 15 whereas the day set for the educational institutions is February 16.

Under the drive, the ministry has set a target of planting 12 million trees in Punjab, 13 million trees in Sindh, 100 million trees in KP, 1.2 million trees in Balochistan, around five million in Azad Jammu and Kashmir along with 7 million in Gilgit-Baltistan

Further, different departments would share their part in planting trees as 500,000 trees each would be planted by Capital Development Authority, National Highway Authority and Ministry of Defense while Pakistan Aeronautical Complex would plant has set a target of planting 20,000 trees.