Trees are beauty of earth: Begum Zakia Shahnawaz

Lahore: Punjab Minister for Environment Begum Zakia Shahnawaz has said that trees are the beauty of the earth and this beauty was being reduced by cutting the trees and environment is being destroyed.

She was addressing a seminar regarding World Earth Day 2016 organized by Punjab University College of Earth & Environmental Sciences in collaboration with Rotary Garrison Lahore and Oriental Women Organization here on Wednesday.

Addressing the seminar, Begum Zakia Shahnawaz said that trees reduced pollution and we must ensure minimum emission of carbon dioxide. She said that it was our responsibility to keep our surrounding places clean. She said that glaciers were being melted rapidly and we must plant trees twenty times more than we had cut. She said that it was a matter of pleasure that the incumbent administration of Punjab University had planted thirty five thousand trees in the past 8 years on campus.

She said that we had the top talent of the world but there was the need to provide guidance and opportunity to that talent. She advised the students to work with honesty, commitment and love and be a nationalist Pakistani.

Addressing the ceremony, PU VC Dr Mujahid Kamran said humanity was facing many dangers and environment was one of them. He said that we must make efforts to maintain balance of the environment. He said that the cancer rate in Faloja, which was bombed by the US, was much higher than Hiroshima and Nagasaki’s.

Prof Dr Sajid Rashid said that every day should be celebrated as world earth day.  He said that around 500 trees would be planted today. Mr Shahzad Ahmed and Samina Noor also addressed the participants. Later, Punjab Minister for Environment Begum Zakia Shahnawaz led a walk regarding world earth day.