‘KP to plant 100,000 saplings on International Day of Forests’

PESHAWAR: Deputy Commissioner Riaz Khan Mahsud on Friday said the government would celebrate March 21 as International Forests Day.

He said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan and Chief Minister Pervez Khattak would plant 100,000 plants at the Regi Model Town in Peshawar.The deputy commissioner in this regard called a meeting where Additional Deputy Commissioner Irshad Sudher, Assistant Commissioner Altaf Sheikh, other officials and members of the Deputy Commissioner Volunteers Force were present.

Riaz Mehsud said that arrangements for celebration of World Forestry Day and plantation of 10, 0000 plants had been finalised. He said the DC volunteers Force had shifted plants to the Regi Model Town.

Riaz Mahsud said Imran Khan and Pervez Khattak would be chief guests at the plantation ceremony.This is no doubt a very positive step but the main challenge would be protection of these plants in the almost forgotten residential town planned in the early 1990s.

The Peshawar Development Authority has spent millions of rupees on plantation in Regi Model Town but very few of them could grow due to lack of care and protection of plants.The present government has recently shifted some government offices from PDA building in Hayatabad to the Regi Model Town and also started work on carpeting of roads that generated hopes among the people about development of this old town.