ISLAMABAD: Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan has urged masses to actively participate in the ongoing countrywide spring tree plantation drive. “Through maximum trees plantation, the country can be safeguarded from the negative effects of climate change,” he said while talking to media persons. He also highlighted that Pakistan has only 5 percent forested area and the government was committed to cover the remaining areas as per international standards. He said the cutting of forests at large scale and the increase in the population in the country was negatively affecting the climate. Under the Green Pakistan programme, the government had planted around 15 million trees while 85 million more trees would be planted by 2021. The minister said that under Ghar Ghar Aik Shajar awareness campaign, tree saplings would be distributed door to door in Islamabad in at least 10,000 houses. Almost a 100 students, he said, from different universities of Islamabad would participate in the programme. “We have formulated a New Forest Policy while the first ever Wildlife Policy of the country is in its final phase,” the minister said. Sharing the last five years’ progress of the ministry, he said, under the spring tree plantation drive, about 407.3 million trees had been planted while during monsoon, 216.7 million trees had been planted with a survival rate of 70 percent. He said that the Ministry of Climate Change, Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Metropolitan Corporation, Islamabad were jointly working on capacity building of employees. Published in Daily Times, February 19th 2018.