ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday formally launched the ‘Clean and Green Pakistan’ campaign in Islamabad, promising 10 billion trees countrywide in next five years.

Speaking at a gathering, Khan said his government planted one billion trees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during its tenure in government in the province, and “now we will [with the grace of God] plant at least 10 billion trees in Pakistan under the campaign.

He assured that Pakistan would serve as the best example for world being the ‘clean and green’ country after half a decade.

“We need to get out of this mindset that Pakistan will remain same as before,” he told the gathering. Khan promised that Pakistan would look cleaner than Europe after targets of the campaign were achieved in five years.

Earlier speaking to the students after planting a sapling, Mr. Khan said Pakistan was among the worst affected countries of global warming. He said the global temperature was rising, hence plantation of trees was the need of the hour.

“More trees will ultimately increase underground water, which Pakistan needs the most,” he said.

The decision to launch a cleanliness drive across the country was taken during a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) presided over by the prime minister in September.

While announcing the campaign on Oct 8, PM said the cleanliness drive had three aspects, adding that the first aspect of the drive was spreading awareness among people, especially children, about importance of sanitation and thus incorporate a lesson in this regard in school syllabus of grade-1 to 5.

Secondly, he said, the people will be given awareness about dumping sites. He added his government will overcome load-shedding by generating electricity from trash.

The prime minister said there will be contests regarding sanitation at tehsil level every two months and the official concerned would be rewarded or penalized on the basis of the state of cleanliness in their areas.

Meanwhile, President Dr Arif Alvi has also appealed to the nation to extend full cooperation in realising the cherished goal of ‘Clean and Green Pakistan’ campaign.

He urged leaders of all political parties and chief ministers of all provinces to play an active role in the ‘Clean and Green Pakistan’ drive inaugurated by the prime minister to create a healthy and hygienic environment for the people, safe disposal of solid and liquid waste, sanitation and hygiene.

In a letter to them, the president emphasized that they had a vital role in raising awareness among the masses and in collectively addressing the challenges facing the nation by adopting a whole-of-nation approach.

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