President to launch Spring Tree Plantation

Islamabad—President Pervez Musharraf will inaugurate the National Spring Tree Planting Campaign on Friday February 15th, 2008. More than 86.5 Million saplings would be planted all over the country during the campaign. Federal Environment Minister Syed Wajid Hussain Bukhari told that the Spring Tree Planting Campaign target includes planting 22 million saplings in Punjab, 12 million in Sindh, 27million in NWFP, 1.5 million in Balochistan, 16 million in AJK, 4 million in Northern Areas and 4 million saplings by other departments including CDA. In his message for the occasion, the President Pervez Musharraf has said that forests are an essential part of our ecosystem. Forests regulate the water supplies to reservoirs and irrigation systems, which from the life line for the agro-based economy of Pakistan. Trees are natural air filters and perform protective function to stabilize mountainous land and to rebuild fertility of arable lands.—Online