Clean and Green Pakistan programme to be taken to universities, schools

Islamabad : The Senate Sub-Committee on Climate Change pledged to take the Clean and Green Pakistan Programme to universities and schools.

The panel met at the COMSATS University here with its chairman, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, in the chair.

Senator Muhammad Ali Khan Saif, Senator Dr. Asad Ashraf, members of the civil society, deans, professors and staff members of COMSATS University Islamabad, activists, senior officials of the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad and the Ministry of Climate Change were also in attendance.

Senator Mushahid praised CUI for being the first institution to respond to the parliamentary sub-committee, when its rector, Prof. Dr. Raheel Qamar, affirmed his commitment to involving students in the “just say no to plastics' campaign.

"It is because of its continued efforts for environmental protection and preservation that the sub-committee chose CUI to host the first of a series of such meetings on its campus. The CUI is also the first public sector university to ban the use of plastics on its campus," he said.

Cristina Afridi of the Green Force Pakistan, an activist group, expressed concern about a lack of adequate landfill site in Islamabad as well as lack of ownership for dealing with the menace of landfills.

Saima Umar, an expert called by the committee, said the scientific measures for the management of the garbage being generated on a daily basis were required.

The sub-committee members toured the Islamabad campus of COMSATS University and appreciated the greenery and efforts undertaken to reduce waste.

Later Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed delivered a talk and participated in an interactive session with the students and faculty members of CUI.

His address was web-casted live to Vehari, Sahiwal, Abbottabad and Lahore Campuses of CUI simultaneously.

Pro-Chancellor CUI Dr. S.M. Junaid Zaidi in his address encouraged researchers and students to investigate the climate change phenomenon and exert efforts towards developing novel bio-degradable plastics.

Prof Arshad Saleem Bhatti, Dean Faculty of Science, welcomed the sub-committee and termed the interaction as a positive outcome of the parliamentary process. He said the university would continue to play a leading role in curbing the menace of plastics.

Prof. Bhatti said that a plastic object takes 20 to over 500 years to degrade in the environment so there is an urgent need to stop production and switch to alternatives on an urgent basis. The committee encouraged the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad to carry out its drive while involving citizens particularly students.