Pakistan Forest Institute golden jubilee marked

KP CM for indigenous solutions to global warming, climate change

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Monday asked the environmentalists to play a role in development of the province by focusing on the promotion of indigenous research to find out local, cost-effective and sustainable solutions to the environmental challenges being faced by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

This he said while speaking at the golden jubilee ceremony of Pakistan Forest Institute in Peshawar.Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan, Provincial Ministers Shah Farman Khan, Mohammad Atif Khan, Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Environment Ishtiaq Urmar, Secretary Environment, Syed Nazar Hussain Shah, Director General of the PFI, Hakim Shah, teachers and students attended the ceremony.

Lauding the contribution of the PFI in promotion of forest research and forestry education, the chief minister said his government was striving for maintenance of the infrastructure of the institute stretching across the country.He said that Rs.271 million had been allocated for PFI in the current budget while in the next fiscal year Rs.396 would be earmarked for different projects of the institute.

The chief minister said climate change and global warming were two big challenges being faced by the world. “The country already faces problems like low forestation, drought, water-logging and salinity,” he said.

The chief minister said that the PTI in its manifesto had included climatic change and environmental issues. He said that Green Initiative Programme had already been launched in province while other steps were also being taken for the promotion of forests and improvement of environment.

Pervez Khattak said the billion trees project was the biggest and unique initiative for forestation and overcoming environmental problems in the country.He maintained that under the five year long project, one billion trees would be planted in the province. He added the initiative would serve multi-pronged purposes i.e. to encourage forestation, improve environment and protection from floods as well as play positive role in boosting the economy of the province.

The chief minister elaborated that 240 million saplings had been planted in the province so far while the target of planting 340 million would be achieved in the province by the end of the year.Speaking on the occasion, the PFI head highlighted research and academic services of the institution. He demanded upgrading of institute to the status of university.