Daily Times

While visiting the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Park, Sindh Minister for Forests and Wildlife Syed Nasir Husain Shan said that in the first phase of Urban Forestry throughout Sindh, approximately one million tree plantation will be carried out in Karachi. The Minister was accompanied by Chancellor Iqra University Erum Lakhani, Secretary Forest Abdul Raheem Soomro, President NFE & H Naeem Qureshi, Mr. Cheema of IUCN, Mr. Abdullah Rafi and members of civil society and corporate sector including Anila Javed Ali Asghar, Waleed Ansari, Farooq Dad, Intizar Ahmed Abdul Jabbar Qazi and others.

On the occasion, Syed Nasir Husain Shah said that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will inaugurate the said plantation campaign next week in Benazir Bhutto Park. Arrangements in this regard have been finalised. He further said that the government of Sindh is fully supporting the tree plantation campaign. It seeks further cooperation to beautify the city through trees in maximum numbers and to involve the civil society at grass root levels. Government is planning a comprehensive forest policy which will be implemented in letter and spirit. Whoever wants to work with the government, they all would be encouraged, cooperated with and assisted properly.

Bilawal Bhutto will inaugurate the plantation campaign in Benazir Bhutto Park next week

Furthermore, he said that in future, every road sector scheme/project would have both sides laden with beautiful trees. The Minister urged upon the civil society and corporate sector to play their due role to maintain/take up the parks and tree plantation within their respective areas. President NFE & H Naeem Qureshi also offered his full support to made the cause a success. The civil society and corporate sector are working on proper mechanism for tree plantation in the city. Through a subcommittee, they will work jointly with the government and the Forest Department Sindh, he added.

A massive awreness campaign for plantation will be carried out with full force. Secretary Forest Abdul Raheem Soomro also extended his full guidance to the civil society and corporate sector to beautify the Benazir Bhutto Park and other available sites within the urban forestry through a comprehensive policy, he added.

Published in Daily Times, March 4^th 2019.