Environment protection govt's top priority: PM.

ISLAMABAD -- Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said that the government is according top priority to the environment protection through a massive programme to protect diversity of 12 natural ecological zones of the country.

Addressing the inaugural session of the three-day Asian Regional Conservative Forum of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) here, the Prime Minister said Pakistan is a diverse country having twelve ecological zones from desert to Himalayan forests which are rare in the world.

He, however, said that the population growth and the lack of interest for protection of environment in the past adversely affected country's wildlife and forests.

He said that main target of the government is to make Pakistan green and preserve wildlife in its natural forests, alps and deserts, adding that protecting planet was the biggest service to humanity by making it liveable for future generations.

Imran Khan said that the PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the first government which took the first major step to deal with the climate change by launching the Billion Tree Tsunami project which included cleaning of rivers and air and waste disposal system.

Says main target is to make Pakistan green

The Prime Minister said that Pakistan's northern areas exuded unmatched scenic beauty in the world, however regretted that timber mafia under patronage of politicians wreaked havoc with natural environment.

He said that strict action was taken against such mafia by the provincial government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to check ruthless cutting of forests.

He said the magic formula of the success of this initiative was that local people including women were involved besides action was taken action against the timber mafia.

Imran Khan said the federal government of PTI has now embarked upon an ambitious plan of planting ten billion trees. He said this year we will launch massive tree plantation drives across the country as the necessary planning and infrastructure including nurseries have been developed in the first year.

He said that the youth will drive this massive campaign. He said the environment protection will also be made part of syllabus.

The Prime Minister said the government has also started another campaign under which...