By Asim Hussain
RAWALPINDI: Punjab Law Minister Mohammad Basharat Raja has said that Pakistan is playing the most important and leading role in tackling the serious global problem of environmental pollution and global warming.
He said this while talking on the occasion of planting a sapling in connection with the tree plantation drive organized by District Range Forest Office, Chakwal, Forest Department (Extension), Rawalpindi Division. District Range Forest Officer Chakwal Sher Afzal Raja and Forest Department officials from the division were also present on the occasion.
He said that the Punjab government is taking historic steps to bring a truly green revolution across the province by turning long-neglected barren lands into forests. Mohammad Basharat Raja said that an ideal and co-ordinated working relationship between the District Administration and Punjab Forest Department is doing what we want. “Punjab government is bringing revolutionary steps for the development and density of forests in the province†, he added. He said the Punjab government will bear all major expenses of making private barren lands fertile and turn the same into forests.
The provincial minister said that the Punjab government was ensuring effective enforcement of laws for the protection of existing forests, as a result of which it would not be possible for the timber mafia to cut down forests in future.
Praising the officers and staff of the District Range Forest Office for making fruitful efforts to turn thousand kanals of waste and barren lands into dense potential forest in the district, the provincial minister said that we should all follow these steps. “We are receiving the admiration and commendation from the whole world for the best efforts and contribution in lessening the environmental pollution and global warming issues†, he mentioned.
On this occasion District Range Forest Officer Sher Afzal Raja apprised the provincial minister of the details of the tree plantion campaign and said more than 800,000 plants of different species of fruits and medicinal value would be planted with the active participation of the masses in the district during the ongoing tree plantation campaign. In addition, under the ‘Up Scaling of Green Pakistan Program’, all the barren lands of the farmers would be resettled and Miyawaki forests would be grown there to make the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Movement of Prime Minister Imran Khan a success.
The provincial minister also inspected the work of planting trees on barren lands with the forest department officials and directed them to take full care of the plants so that our efforts would bear fruit.
