ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Mushahidullah Khan on Friday inaugurated a honeybee farm and spring plantation campaign at the botanical garden in Bara Kahoo, arranged by the Ministry of Climate Change and Pakistan Tobacco Company. “We are depended upon plants for our food, clothes, medicines and air. A country needs 25 percent of forests on its total area but Pakistan has less than 5 percent,” Mushahidullah Khan said. He further said the reason why we have a few forests is because of floods, dust and many other disasters. The floods of 2010 affected 2 million people that included 2,000 deaths. The illegal forest cutting has disturbed environmental balance. Many important species of birds and animals are endangered. He also highlighted that plantation was the only solution to all these problems. Botanical gardens attach a great importance in this issue. The Ministry of Climate Change with the collaboration of Pakistan Tobacco Company has started a plantation campaign in the botanical garden. It would help to protect biodiversity from negative impacts of climate change. He also highlighted that God created this world for human beings in a perfect way but we destroyed it. Islam is a religion that talked about climate change for the first time, 1,400 years ago. The unsustainable development of developed countries created the issue of climate change and developing countries are facing the consequences. The developed countries must pay the developing countries for their capacity building. Everyone should play ones role as a religious duty, he said. Parliamentary Secretary and MNA Romina Khursheed Alam also told the audience that they were trying to involve university students and school students in Ghar Ghar Aik Shajar campaign to create awareness among public. She also highlighted to follow the Facebook page of Ministry of Climate Change to follow their activities. Senator Nuzhat Amir Sadiq also appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of Climate Change to increase forests through dedicated work. The event was attended by Ministry of Climate Change Secretary Khizer Hayat, Forests Inspector General Syed Mehmood Nasir, senior officers of the Ministry of Climate Change, and PTC, along with media persons. Published in Daily Times, February 24th 2018.