Going green: PTI set to launch plantation campaign

Party members seek cooperation from government institutions, NGOs and schools

KARACHI: With the aim of planting more trees in the city, the Karachi chapter of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is all set to launch a plantation campaign in the city.

PTI lawmaker Arif Alvi said that planting a single tree is a big sadqa-e- jariya. A large number of trees will prove to be a great contribution towards a better environment, he said.

PTI Karachi secretary Dawar Khan Sabir told The Express Tribune that party leaders will visit private and government schools to discuss the benefits of planting trees with the students and the staff members. The party will also organise seminars to promote a sense of environmental and social service among children, he added.

The campaign will also showcase a positive image of corporate social responsibility, Sabir said. "Banks and multinational companies should play their part in this campaign and should come forward to help us in this campaign," he added.

"On my party's behalf, I want to request to all the citizens of Karachi, regardless of their political affiliation to please join PTI Karachi in this campaign and make Karachi green," he said. NGOs working in Karachi should raise their voice as Karachi is facing a serious environmental threat, he added.

PTI members have also planned a unique project of Karachi, under the name 'Tree Bank' which will keep a count of the plants in stock in all the nurseries in the city

The party has taken this initiative after witnessing the number of recent deaths due to the heatwave and after discussing what could be done to prevent such a loss again.

PTI has already implemented a similar plan in the K-P province under the name 'Billion Tree Tsunami'.

The party plans to encourage government institutions, such as the Sindh government, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, to endorse this plantation campaign.

The plantation campaign will start after Eid.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2015.