Minister for Communications Murad Saeed said on Wednesday that plantation of 10 billion trees under PM's vision would help make the country green and also fight adverse impact of climate change.

Speaking at the MOU singing ceremony between National Highway Authority (NHA) and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) for plantation of 11000 olive trees along Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway here, he said that for the first time in Pakistan policies were being made and legislation being done to save the country from effects of climate change.

He said under clean and green Pakistan,the NHA was making the highways and motorways of Pakistan beautiful and it was responsibility of the masses to play their role in keeping them clean.

Murad said that the government was working on the plan to make NHA a self- reliant institution which would build roads without government funding.

He said that ground breaking of Pakistan's biggest BOT project Sukkur- Hyderabad Motorway would be laid soon.

He said most of CPEC related road projects have been completed whereas work on is Western route has been started.

He said that in the past rulers used to build palaces for themselves, but had done nothing for the poor segment of the society.

He said that it was the PTI government which launched shelter homes and Langar Khanas for the homeless and poor people. He said that Kamyab Jawan and Ehsas programmes were also PTI governments' flagship schemes which would play role in making Pakistan an Islamic welfare state.

About Insaf Sehat Card he said that 5.7 million families have benefitted from the health insurance scheme so far.

Lashing out at Sindh government he said that it was not cooperating with federal government for inclusion of the province in Insaaf Sehat Card.

He said that 2020 would be the year of development, economic stability and public welfare for the people of the country.

He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has put the country's economy in the right direction with difficult and bold decisions and fruits of this betterment would reach the common man.

Prime Minister's adviser on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam said that plantation of maximum tress in the country was need of the hour and that was only way to counter the adverse impacts of the climate change. He said that Pakistan one of the most affected countries with the climate changes in the world and there was need to tackle the issue on war footing. He said that after the success of billion tree tsunami projects in the KPK, the PTI government has launched 10 billion trees project which is being replicated in other countries.

He said that plantation of olive saplings was a very good initiative as besides countering climate change affects, they are also source of generation of income.

Minister of State for Climate Change, Zartaj Gul said that it was worth appreciation that National Bank of Pakistan under corporate social responsibility ,was donating 11000 saplings of olive tree to NAH which would be planted along M-1.

She said recent snowfall and slides in Balochistan and AJK were the proof that climate change was the most serious threat faced by humanity now.

Earlier the MOU for provision of 11000 olive plants was signed by General Manager M-1 Amjad Ali and Vice President NBP Saima Rahim.

Secretary Communications Jawwad Rafique Malik and Chairman NHA Sikander Qayyum were also present on the occasion.

© Pakistan Press International, source Asianet-Pakistan