10,000 saplings distributed under ‘Gar Gar Aik Shajar’ progamme: Mushahidullah

ISLAMABAD, Feb 21 (APP):Ministry of Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan on Wednesday said that Ministry of Climate Change had distributed 10,000 saplings among the masses in federal Capital under “Ghar Ghar Aik Shajar” programme.
Addressing an even to plant a sampling at trail 3 on the occasion of first anniversary of Green Pakistan Programme (GPP), he said, some 18 million samplings had been planted throughout the country under the programme so far.
“We have achieved the set target during the last year, now in current year we are ahead of the set target under GPP” he apprised the audience.
The minister said that the GPP was launched last year on February 9 to plant 100 million samplings across the country and it would cost Rs 4.7 billion in the five years.
He said that the samplings were being planted along the roads, canals and various designated of the country under the GPP.
He urged the citizen to take part actively in the ongoing tree plantation drive.
Mushahiduallh Khan said, “1600 years ago, our holy prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him had also advised his follower not to cut the trees when you conquered any areas. If we are true follower of the Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), we should not only plant trees but also take steps to protect them”.
“We should take part in trees plantation drive by considering it a religious obligation and term it a “Jihad” he added.
He said that the government was committed to bringing the forest cover areas at as per with international standard. He said presently, only 5.01 per cent area of the country was under the forest cover.
About the current spring tree plantation drive, he said, Punjab Forest Department gave target of planting 12 million sapling, Sindh Forest Department 12 million, Khyber Pukhtoonkhawa 52 million, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 9.8 million, Gilgit Baltistan, 3 million, Federally Administered Areas Forest Department, 5.236 million, international Union of Conservation of Nature 0.5 million, Pakistan ordinance Factory 0.004 million, Ministry of Defense 1 million, National Highway Authority 1 million, ENGRO 4 million and Pakistan Aeronautical complex set target of 0.015 million.
However Balochistan, Capital Development Authority and heavy Industrial Taxila were missing in the meeting.
“We have set a target of 100 million during current spring tree plantation drive” he added.
The minister said that although the Pakistan had very little contribution in emission gases, but presently the country was
great suffers of it. “We have lost billions of dollars due to negative impact of the climate change, but the developed countries are not willing to put head to the requirement of Pakistan to address the climate change negative impacts” he added.
He said that the presently the country was spending about 8 per cent of the total budget to address the climate change negative impact.