Zardari calls for forest conservation efforts

President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and fulfilling its obligations under key international environmental agreements, including the Paris Agreement.

"The Federal Government, Provincial Governments, the Governments of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, together with other stakeholders, are working to strengthen forest conservation, ecosystem restoration and sustainable landscape management," he said in a message on the "Monsoon Tree Plantation Campaign 2026".

The president said the Monsoon Tree Plantation Campaign 2026 was more than a plantation drive, adding it was a call for sustained environmental responsibility and collective action.

He encouraged all citizens to plant suitable indigenous tree species and ensure their protection and survival.

"The true measure of success will not be the number of saplings planted, but the healthy trees and forests that we nurture over the years," he said adding, the Monsoon Tree Plantation Campaign 2026 was aimed to plant 20 million saplings across the country.

He called upon the citizens, particularly young people, educational institutions, public and private organisations and local communities to participate actively and, equally importantly, to protect and nurture the saplings that were being planted.

The president extended his greetings to people of Pakistan, on the launch of the campaign and said the national initiative reflected their collective responsibility to protect the environment, restore degraded landscapes and build a greener and more climate-resilient Pakistan.

"Forests are among Pakistan's most valuable natural assets. They sustain biodiversity, protect watersheds and combat desertification," he said.