KARACHI: The Pakistan International Airlines while actively contributing in the Clean and Green Pakistan initiative of the government is planting 50,000 trees in the current year alone across its different stations in the country, says a Press release.
This was disclosed by Muhammad Shoaib, company secretary PIA, while speaking at a tree plantation ceremony at PIA Township to mark the 74 Independence Day of Pakistan. The tree plantation ceremony at PIA Model Secondary School was jointly organized by the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry, PIA, and National Forum for Environment and Health (NFEH).
A special 74 metres long flag of Pakistan was unfurled on the occasion by the teachers and students of the PIA Model Secondary School in connection with the 74th Independence Day of Pakistan.
Speaking on the occasion, Sohaib said that the PIA regardless of its financial position would continue to act upon its commitments to improve the environment and further the Corporate Social Responsibility goals. He said that tree plantation activity was one such noble commitment of the PIA.
He said that PIA would remain commitment with such noble causes no matter its account balance goes negative.
Speaking on the occasion, NFEH President Naeem Qureshi said that the tree cover in Karachi should be 25 per cent but in actual it had reduced to merely 2.87 per cent.
He said that the tree plantation campaign launched by the NFEH a few years back was able to plant 300,000 trees with support of the government, like-minded non-governmental organizations, corporate, and industrial organizations. He said that the support of organizations like Airport Security Force and Civil Aviation Authority was being sought to further this tree plantation campaign in surroundings of the airports.
He said that the tree plantation drive would plant 10,000 trees every year while another 1,000 trees would be planted for developing an urban forest in Karachi.
The NFEH president said that no donation, financial, support, or grant was used to further this tree plantation drive as the same was done with the support of the like-minded organizations.
Sohaib Dhari, GM Welfare of PIA, noted cricketers Shoaib Muhammad, Moin Khan, and other distinguished guests from various walks of life attended the event and took part in the tree plantation activity at and in surroundings of the PIA Model School.