MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Chaudhry Anwarul Haq on Thursday officially inaugurated the National Tree Plantation Campaign 2025 by planting a sapling in the Forest Complex Tandali.
Under the plantation campaign, which will continue for 45 days, saplings will be planted in all the districts and tehsil headquarters of Azad Kashmir, including government offices and educational institutions.
The plantation campaign has been launched by all departments, including the Department of Education, Schools, Department of Higher Education, Food, Agriculture, Livestock, Information, Local Government and Rural Development, Highways, Tourism.
Prime Minister Anwarul Haq said that the tree plantation campaign has been launched as a national campaign so that people hailing from different walks of life could participate in it and play their due role in tree plantation in the next 45 days.
The public has been appealed to actively participate in the plantation campaign and plant as many saplings as possible.
Addressing on the occasion, Prime Minister Haq has said that forests are indispensable for the survival of mankind. He stressed the need for planting more trees, citing the benefits of tree plantation and their role in combating climate change.
Terming forests as a strong source of survival for mankind, the JK Premier said, ” Whoever cuts down trees cannot escape the nature’s wrath”. He added that planting trees is the moral duty of every individual.
“Cloud bursts and landslides occurr mostly in the areas with highest deforestation rates”, the PM said, adding that deforestation was one of the significant contributors to climate change and global warming.
The PM on the occasion stressed the need for institutional reforms and improvement of the overall system. “Today, a forest guard has the authority to arrest even a serving DSP in case the officer is found guilty of any misconduct,” he added.
The prime minister praised the Forest Department for its commendable role in preventing timber smuggling while fighting mafias.
The function was also addressed by Minister for Forests Akmal Hussain Sargala, Secretary Forests Ansar Yaqoob and others. Secretary Forests Ansar Yaqoob gave a detailed briefing to Prime Minister Azad Kashmir about the ongoing forest projects.
Most Senior Minister Col. (retd) Waqar Ahmed Noor, government ministers Akmal Sargala, Professor Taqdees Gilani, Javed Iqbal Badhanvi, Chaudhry Muhammad Rashid, Chaudhry Azhar Sadiq also participated in the tree plantation by planting saplings in the Forest Complex Tandali.
A large number of government secretaries, officers of various departments and the public also attended the inauguration ceremony.
