Walk held to mark World Forest Day

Station Commander Brigadier Zakirullah said that the objective of celebrating World Forest Day is to protect and preserve forests as the availability of natural resources is diminishing due to continuous deforestation.

He expressed these views while addressing the participants of a walk and plantation campaign after planting saplings in connection with the International Day of Forests held under the aegis of the Punjab Forest Department.

Brigadier Zakirullah said that deforestation is destroying wildlife and the habitats of beautiful birds. “Deforestation not only prevents the supply of natural resources but also disrupts the human life style”.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN), Pakistan is one of the 10 countries in the world that could be affected more by climate change, Zakirullah added.

He emphasised the need to not only stop deforestation but also to initiate plantations on a large scale with the support of the people.

Deputy Commissioner Agha Zaheer Abbas Shirazi said that it is a good move to associate the plantation drive with women under the Green Punjab.

District Forest Officer Raza Anwar Sheikh informed the participants that 4,000 saplings are being planted on the occasion of the International Day of Forests, saying this year their target is to plant 234,000 saplings in the entire Murree,

At the end of the walk, Station Commander Brigadier Zakirullah, DC Agha Zaheer Abbas Shirazi, Regional Tourism Manager Moazzam Nazir Raja Iftikhar, PDMA District Emergency Officer, Kamran Rasheed, and DPO Raza Anwar Shaikh and officials and members of the Press Club planted saplings.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2024.