Govt to protect forests: PM’s aide

Amin Aslam says govt officials assisting illegal logging will face action

ISLAMABAD:

Government is determined to protect forests from timber mafia, PM’s Adviser on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam said on Wednesday.

“As we move ahead with the billion-tree tsunami project, the need for protecting the forests grows further,” he said adding there was no sense in planting more trees when people were illegally chopping down timber.

Aslam warned timber mafia as well as all those found involved in illicit tree cutting or depletion of forests of strict action. He said that government employees found involved in illegal logging would not be spared and would be awarded exemplary punishments under the law as PM was himself closely monitoring the situation.

The adviser said that action would be taken against timber thieves under Forest Act. He said a grand operation against timber mafia was already launched to protect green cover.

Protecting the forests was imperative to counter growing effects of global warming and climate change, he said adding, government has also decided to conserve trees that are more than 100-year old and give them the status of 'heritage'.

The Climate Change Ministry has initiated a project for all four provinces through which plantation of million new trees will be ensured until 2021, he added.

Aslam said government was committed to planting 10 billion trees by 2023, “we will continue to plant more trees to get our goals by next year.” Replying a Question, he said: “PTI government's flagship 10-billion-tree tsunami project would be a game changer and we will provide all its records including details of the funds so far spent and the satellite images of the areas where plantation drive is under way.”

He said 10 billion trees programme is being implemented in all federating units of the country, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B).

He added that the 'Green Stimulus' package is part of the government's efforts to extend green cover in the county apart from creating job opportunities for the youth, particularly in the wake of the ongoing novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

The adviser said that there is a political will to increase the forest cover of Pakistan which will result in the improvement of environmental conditions for future generations.

He said tree plantation was not only government's job rather it was about the whole mankind and the whole nation, adding, everyone must take part in the campaign to plant trees else the land would turn into a desert as the glaciers were already melting owing to global warming.

He stressed excessive plantation was of utmost importance for the country to tackle the challenges of climate change and water shortage. Amin added that it is the responsibility of every citizen to work for protection and promotion of forests and greenery by planting more and more trees and I expect a vigorous response in this respect.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2020.