PM Imran Khan launches ‘Clean and Green Pakistan’

Lahore : Prime Minister Imran Khan Saturday kicked off a countrywide ‘Clean and Green Pakistan’ drive to tackle
the challenges of swelling pollution and global warming with a resolve to inherit a cleaner Pakistan, even more than Europe.

The prime minister launched the action day of the ‘Clean and
Green Pakistan’ here at Islamabad College for Girls by planting a
sapling and sweeping the lawn of the college.

Holding the broom, the white-clad prime minister also picked
the garbage and disposed it off before washing hands to teach the
youngsters the proper cleanliness methods.

On  the first day of the nationwide movement, ceremonies
would be held across the country to clean the localities and plant
trees to be joined by the common people as well as the government authorities.

The prime minister was accompanied by his Advisor on Climate
Change Malik Amin Aslam, Special Assistants Iftikhar Durrani and
Naeem-ul-Haq and Senator Faisal Javed besides representatives of the international organizations.

While launching the cleanliness drive, the prime minister
also interacted with the students on the climate change and pollution,
who also joined him in cleanliness and tree plantation.

Later, while addressing the ceremony, the prime minister
congratulated the students and teachers of the college for holding a successful launching ceremony of the five-year long drive for a
cleaner and greener Pakistan.

The prime minister recalled the remarkable role played by
the students for fund raising of Shaukat Khanum Hospital across the country and urged them to replicate the same dedication for this drive.

He said after dismal response from the people, it was the
students under the umbrella of ‘Imran Tigers’ who proved catalyst to collect funding for the hospital besides creating awareness and hoped that they could bring success to this drive too if they resolve to transform the country.

The prime minister resolved that his government would
inherit a Pakistan which would be cleaner even than Europe.

He expressed concerns over the polluted river in the country
and swelling pollution to an alarming level in Lahore particularly in
winter.

He said according to a study, excessive pollution shortens
the life expectancy by average 11 years. “The swelling pollution will mar the future of our upcoming generations,” he added.

He said besides cleanliness, enhancement of the green cover
was equally essential as Pakistan was seventh most affected country by the global warming.

He said after successful completion of billion tree tsunami
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the government had launched a five-year 10 billion tree tsunami across the country.

He said the glaciers would be depleting fast if the world
failed to tackle the challenge of global warming and the world become unlivable for the future generation.

He hoped that after plantation of 10 billion trees, the
weather pattern of the country would be changed altogether.

The prime minister said the cleanliness drive would not
remain confined to posh areas but it would also cover the slums and reiterated his government’s plan to regularize and provide housing to the slum dwellers.

The drive also comprises the construction of landfill sites
in all areas to ensure proper disposal of the garbage.

The prime minister also interacted with the representatives
of international organization and shared with them the government’s future plans to cope with climate change and global warming.