ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to make Pakistan clean and green with the support of masses.
He was addressing a ceremony in connection with the launch of Clean Green Pakistan Index in Islamabad on Monday.
It aims at improving overall green and clean outlook of the Pakistani cities by kicking off competition amongst them on various indicators.
Imran Khan said every segment of the society including the administration, the elected representatives and the youth should become part of the clean and green initiative to fight environmental degradation and protect the future of this country.
He said it was due to the participation of the people that we planted one billion trees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over a period of five years. Now we will make the entire country green with particular focus on the cities where specific areas will be identified for plantation.
The Prime Minister said the government will gradually increase funds for this campaign.
Imran Khan said that an efficient local bodies system is also being introduced in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. This system envisages empowerment of the people at the grassroots level. He said the elected representatives at the village level will also be made part of the regional level competitions on environmental indicators.
Describing the pollution as the silent killer, the Prime Minister regretted that Lahore has become the second or third most polluted cities in the world as no effort was made in the past to protect its environment. He said the last ten years saw the city losing seventy percent of its green cover.
Imran Khan said this country is blessed with immense resources including twelve climatic zones, fertile land and natural resources. He said we need to value these resources in order to help the country stand on its own feet. He said given the immense beauty of the country, it will be made a destination for tourism.
Addressing the ceremony, Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam said the government is committed to make Pakistan a clean and green country.
He said in the first phase of this drive, healthy cleanliness competition will be conducted in 19 cities. He said students from schools and universities are being engaged in the drive. He urged general public to make this drive success.
The Adviser said the youth of country should register and participate in this drive and the government will recognize and reward those who actively participate.
He said electric vehicles will be introduced to reduce environmental pollution in the country.
The Adviser said the government is planning to prevent the water wastage as thousands of gallons of clean water are being wasted in the sea due to lack of policies in utilizing water resources.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has stated that the government has taken steps to improve its remittances through proper channel.
The prime minister highlighted incentive package which is under consideration for attracting greater remittances through formal channels.
A delegation of MoneyGram, headed by William Alexander Holmes, CEO and Chairman, called on Prime Minister Imran Khan at PM Office on Monday.
Adviser Finance Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh and Adviser Commerce Abdul Razzak Dawood were also present during the meeting.
MoneyGram International Inc. is a globally recognized American money transfer company, which is offering its services at approximately 350,000 agent locations in more than 200 countries. MoneyGram is actively involved in facilitating overseas Pakistanis, with its 7000 partners across the country, to send their remittances back home, to any bank in Pakistan, in an efficient and easy manner.
The Prime Minister assured the visiting delegation that the Government would provide every possible facilitation in expanding their business and facilitating overseas Pakistanis sending their hard-earned money back to their homes.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Babar Awan on Monday called on Prime Minister Imran Khan and discussed foreign funding case against the PTI.
During the meeting, Babar Awan briefed the prime minister regarding legal and constitutional framework.
Speaking on the occasion, Awan said that the PTI has submitted all the financial data in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), adding that the audit of the PTI accounts was also conducted from time to time.
He said that the prime minister who lives on his own expense in the house doesn’t need foreign funding but those having fake accounts needed he foreign funding.
PM Imran said that the two political parties, who are in opposition, committed money laundering on a large scale.
The prime minister said that the economy of the country is stabilizing but some elements are against its prosperity. He maintained that the government will foil all conspiracies being hatched against Pakistan.
Earlier, PTI Leader Farrukh Habib said that his party has provided data of 40,000 donators to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in foreign funding case.
Addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Monday, he clarified that all the party’s accounts are declared and each of its transactions have been made through the banking channel.
He said the PTI has laid the foundation of transparency and its Chairman Imran Khan presented all details of his assets before the apex court in Hanif Abbasi’s case.
Meanwhile, presiding over the spokespersons meeting, Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday said that opposition parties were misleading people on foreign funding case.
The prime minister said that both Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) made money via money laundering.
PM Imran directed to update the masses about all the aspects of the foreign funding case.
Talking about opposition’s protest and APC, PM Imran said, “Masses have rejected the opposition’s protest call.”
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has held second meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan within the last 24 hours to discuss administrative changes and political scenario in the province.
Yesterday, Buzdar had also spoken about administrative changes in the province during a conference of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) core committee chaired by PM Imran Khan.
Importantly, the party’s core committee and members of the provincial assembly of Punjab had expressed serious concerns regarding the bureaucracy.
Sources familiar with the matter told the media that Buzdar has entered final stage of consultation to decide about important changes in the administrative level.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Sha Zukang, former Under Secretary General of the United Nations and current President of China-Pakistan Friendship Association, called on Prime Minister Imran Khan today.
Ambassador Sha is leading a delegation of major Chinese companies visiting Pakistan to explore Pakistan’s business potential and to invest in the country.
Prime Minister Imran Khan while welcoming Ambassador Sha’s delegation to Pakistan underscored the closeness and depth of Pakistan-China ties. Underlining that CPEC was a transformational project, the Prime Minister invited the Chinese companies and investors to invest in diverse sectors in Pakistan.
Prime Minister Imran Khan added that CPEC, a flagship project of President Xi Jinping’s BRI, was helping reinforce economic development not only of Pakistan but would also contribute to regional prosperity. Its second phase will focus on industrialization, agriculture and socio-economic development.
Ambassador Sha’s delegation includes companies related to real estate, construction, engineering, textile, IT and industrial sectors. The delegation visited Peshawar today and is also scheduled to visit Lahore, Karachi and Gawadar. The delegation will meet leading bankers, industrialists, entrepreneurs, financial experts, business chambers, and senior officials to deepen its insights and understanding of the economic opportunities in Pakistan. – NNI