CDA to plant 600,000 saplings

Islamabad: Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Metropolitan Corporation have started preparations for planting over 600,000 saplings during the upcoming spring in the federal capital.

Executive Director of Environment Directorate CDA, Sanaullah Aman Wednesday told APP that the inauguration ceremony of the campaign would be held in Fatima Jinnah Park (F-9) on February 15. The ceremony would be attended by representatives of various organisations, CDA officials and large number of students would attend the ceremony.

The saplings would be planted in collaboration with various nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), schools, colleges, universities and other organisations, he said. The campaign would focus capital’s parks, Margalla hills, green belts to make it greener for healthy environment.

Fruit trees would be planted in sizable number, he said adding that topmost priority of the CDA was to make the federal capital as greener and beautiful city of the world. He said tree plantation ensures clean environment and contribute in minimising pollution.

He urged citizens to play their role in making the campaign successful. He said the MCI and the CDA were playing active role in the progress and development of the city. The CDA would plant shadowy and fruit laden trees including Kachnar, Amaltas, Chair pine, Taearanda, Olive and Jamun trees in each sector of the capital.

AIOU: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) will hold soon an international conference on Pakistani languages to promote national integrity and cohesion. It will be the second such event in the recent years that aimed to maintain national unity through language and literature, Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Shahid Siddiqui Wednesday said.

It will provide platform to researchers and academicians to give their academic and intellectual input, as how to develop the language and literature as an instrument of national unity, he remarked.

Dr Shahid Siddiqui said the university through educational pursuits fulfils it national responsibility to influence the peoples'' mind to adopt positive and constructive approach in the nation-building task.

It is worth mentioning here that the AIOU is only university in the country that simultaneously provides learning facilities in regional languages, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi, Brahui and Saraiki that has turned it a symbol of national unity.

It extends teaching facility in regional languages at the level of Matric, FA and BA. Besides this, it also offers short courses in Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto and Balochi. The event is being organised by the University’s department of Pakistani languages. Participates will deliberate upon the topic of Pakistani languages and colonial literature. It is scheduled to take place in the third week of March.