- Advertisement -
LAHORE, Dec 02 (APP):Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan has said that awareness campaigns are of utmost importance to tackle challenges of climate change.
He said this while addressing PM’s Green Youth Movement Capacity Building Training on Climate Action Toolkit at Aiwan-i-Iqbal on Monday. He said that gym clubs in 137 public sector universities and green movement clubs had been set up, adding that more than 18,000 persons have been registered as club members. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also wrote a letter to the members to encourage them, he added.
Rana Mashhood said that after 137 public sector universities, private universities had also be contacted in this regard and there were 268 universities across the country. He said, “We are focusing to make gym clubs in all public and private universities by next year.” Later, colleges and schools would be approached in this regard, he said and added that currently smog was the biggest health hazard.
He said there was a need to adopt measures which would help to make society and places clean besides reducing carbon emissions. The PM’s Youth Programme chairman said that horizon of volunteer corps was being expanded to provinces, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif became the first volunteer of the initiative.
Organizations doing volunteer work are being made partners to it and the purpose is just to reach out to the public at large, Mashhood said and added that advocacy would also be done to tell the world that Pakistan’s share in problems related to climate change was extremely low.
He said that Pakistan was facing the worst impact of climate change, adding that climate warriors would do their work under the national volunteer corps initiative. “The real positive side of Pakistan will be highlighted at the international level with the help of the initiatives. It is highly important to provide an appropriate platform to youngsters to achieve desired goals,” he maintained.
Later, responding to media questions, Rana Mashhood said whenever the PML-N come to power it set green and brown boundaries for the city. He said that Lahore boundaries were finished in 2018, adding that 40 years back Lahore used to fulfil its requirements from 40 square kilometres and now the requirements were not met from 160 square kilometres. “Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has given a task to the Environment Protection Department and efforts are being made to set boundaries of Lahore. The module being prepared for construction of vertical buildings is based on zero carbon emission,” he added.
He said that the continuity of policies was essential to overcome challenges, adding that steps were being taken in the right direction. To another question he said that an aggressive tree planting campaign would also be started. “In 2016, Nawaz Sharif had said goodbye to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme but unfortunately in 2019, the IMF was again imposed on the country and as result of which the economy and people suffered immensely. Now investors are coming to Pakistan and the government is focusing on the next budget without the IMF,” he maintained.
He said the government does not believe in confrontation. “However, an attack on the state will not be tolerated at any cost and elements behind negative tactics would be dealt with an iron hand.”
The screening of national youth council has been completed and by the end of January the Youth Advisory Board will be inaugurated, he maintained. He said, “It is an honour for Pakistan that the Secretariat of Commonwealth Asia Youth Alliance is in Pakistan, which will be inaugurated along with national youth council.”