RAWALPINDI: Punjab Law Minister, Mohammad Basharat Raja on Wednesday said that the government as per the vision of the Prime Minister Imran Khan was playing an important role in tackling the serious global problem of environmental pollution and global warming.
Addressing the participants of a plantation ceremony organized by District Range Forest Office, Chakwal, Forest Department (Extension), Rawalpindi Division, he said the Punjab government was taking historic steps to bring a green revolution in the province by turning long-neglected barren lands into forests.
District Range Forest Officer Chakwal Sher Afzal Raja and Forest Department officials from the division were also present on the occasion.
Basharat Raja said that concerted efforts were being made by the District Administration and Punjab Forest Department to achieve the plantation targets. “Punjab government is taking revolutionary steps for the development and density of forests in the province”, he added.
He said, Punjab government would bear all major expenses of making private barren lands fertile and turn the same into forests.
The provincial minister said that the Punjab government was ensuring effective enforcement of laws for the protection of existing forests, as a result of which it would not be possible for the timber mafia to cut down forests in future.
Appreciating the role of the officers and staff of the District Range Forest Office for aggressive plantation and turn thousand kanals of waste and barren land into dense potential forest in the district, the provincial minister said that the citizens should also come forward and play a role to make the plantation campaign a success.
“We are receiving the admiration and commendation from the whole world for the best efforts and contribution in lessening the environmental pollution and global warming issues”, he mentioned.
On this occasion District Range Forest Officer Sher Afzal Raja apprised the provincial minister of the details of the tree plantation campaign and said that more than 800, 000 plants of different species would be planted with the active participation of the masses in the district during the ongoing tree plantation campaign.
In addition, under the ‘Green Pakistan Program’, all the barren lands of the farmers would be resettled and Miyawaki forests would be grown there to make the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Movement of Prime Minister Imran Khan a success, he added.
The provincial minister also inspected the plantation work on barren lands with the forest department officials and directed them to take full care of the plants so that the set targets could be achieved.