KP Govt to plant one million saplings on Pakistan Day

PESHAWAR, Mar 17 (APP):The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is set to mark Pakistan Day with a historic afforestation drive, aiming to plant a record one million saplings across the province in a single day.

The plantation campaign will be formally launched at 9 a.m. on March 23, simultaneously across all districts under the vision of a “Green Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”

Spokesperson for the Department of Climate Change, Forests, Environment and Wildlife, Latif ur Rehman, told APP that the initiative is being carried out on the directives of Secretary Junaid Khan, in line with the Chief Minister’s special vision to promote environmental sustainability.

He said the initiative would be a first-of-its-kind record in Pakistan’s history, symbolizing both environmental stewardship and national unity.

The government has decided to transform this year’s Pakistan Day into a “green pledge” to ensure a sustainable future for coming generations.

Highlighting the urgency of the initiative, he noted that climate change has emerged as a major global challenge, with Pakistan among the most affected countries.

Tree plantation, he added, is vital for improving air quality, maintaining ecological balance, and ensuring sustainable development.

For the campaign, saplings are being supplied to all districts from official forest nurseries. The plantation drive will continue uninterrupted until the last sapling is planted.

To ensure transparency and effective monitoring, a dedicated software application and a central control dashboard have been established.

Through this system, real-time data, including photos and live videos of plantation activities, will be transmitted to the central monitoring unit. Offline data upload options have also been introduced for remote areas with limited internet access.

The campaign will witness active participation from government departments, educational institutions, district administrations, motorway police, Pakistan Railways, local communities, and the armed forces, making it a broad-based national effort.

Officials emphasized that if every citizen takes responsibility for nurturing even a single tree, the initiative could lay the foundation for a greener, healthier, and more sustainable Pakistan.