AIOU launches Green Pakistan campaign

Islamabad: Green Pakistan, spring plantation campaign was launched here on Thursday at the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) to motivate the youth to help in making the country pollution free.

The event was jointly arranged by the university’s agriculture department, Academic Staff Association and Forest Department, Rawalpindi South. Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Shahid Siddiqui, while planting the saplings of fruit, ornamental and shady trees at the lawn of the Academic block announced that the AIOU will play its due role in developing pollution-free green Pakistan.

The forest department’s officers Saqib Mehmood and Abid Hussain Gondal were also present on the occasion. The department has provided 500 saplings to the University to involve its students and academic staff in the campaign.

The VC also announced that the University will arrange similar tree-plantation events at its 44 regional campuses across the country. The AIOU, being the mega educational institution with 1.3 million students wished to play a leading role in developing green Pakistan, he added. It has included its educational curriculum the content related to climate change and plantation's significance.

The University regularly takes part in various flowers’ competitions and has been winning top positions due to hard-working of the University’s gardeners. A botanical garden was recently set up at AIOU main campus for promoting research in horticulture sector. The botanical garden works as open lab with documented collections of living plants for scientific research, conservation and display.

The tree plantation event was participated by the officers and the staff of the University, including Dean Social Sciences Dr. Samina Awan and President Academic Staff Association Dr. Fazalur Rehman.