Army Chief stands by democracy: Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan has said that he had ‘good news’ that Chief of Army Staff General Qammar Javed Bajwa supports democracy.

Addressing an event about the ‘Billion Tree Tsunami,’ the PTI chairman did not delve into any further details of his meeting with the army chief on Friday, which has raised eyebrows as the nation eagerly await the Panama Leaks verdict involving Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Chairman PTI Imran Khan called on COAS. Imran Khan felicitated COAS on his prom and appointment. Various issues came under discussion.

— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) March 31, 2017

The Inter Services Public Relations had said that Imran Khan had felicitated the COAS on his promotion and appointment and discussed various issues. PTI Spokesman Naeem-ul-Haq said that the one-hour meeting discussed the recent terror wave, FATA reforms, repatriation of Afghan refugees, and the law and order situation in Khyber Pakthunkhwa.

‘Billion tree tsunami’ acclaimed worldwide

Imran Khan said that ‘Billion tree tsunami’ afforestation is acclaimed worldwide and had been appreciated by the international non-profit organization World Wide Fund, while KP was acknowledged at the climate change conference in Paris.

He said the program was just the stepping stone and will spill over into other provinces, and even the federal government was taking inspiration from the initiative.

“There is an 83 percent success rate of the billion tree tsunami plantations. Everyone in Pakistan should be appreciating this,” he said stating that the figures were not exaggerated and could be check by geo-mapping on Google Maps.

He said that they have planted 800 million trees, while the federal government have also pledged to grow 100 million trees in the next ten years, the effects of which will pass to the next generation.

He commended the role of provincial ministers and bureaucrats for challenging the timber mafia, and recovering lands worth Rs.22 billion despite threats of violence, saying that a system of reward and punishment is extremely important.

He further said that they are teaching about climate change in schools, and also employing women in private nurseries, as the tree plantation campaign has been a community and government effort which will be reciprocated and taken further.