Daily Archives: November 5, 2021

By Mansoor Bakhtiar

The Prime Minister Imran Khan’s flagship Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Plantation (TBTTP) initiative is not only helping the country to counter the environmental crisis and help promote unique environment-friendly entrepreneurship for unemployed women and youth of the rural areas, but has also inspired many others across the country to plan trees and make Pakistan eco-friendly country.
Amir Naushad Khan from Lower Dir-KP is one of those social workers who got inspired by the idea and initiative of Imran Khan of plantations across the country.

According to Amir Naushad Khan, until now he has planted thousands of saplings across his district. It must be noted that the Billion Tree Tsunami Programme is the country’s largest-ever tree plantation initiative that has generated some 85,000 green jobs during the pressing times in pandemic that helped provide livelihoods to Covid-idled youth, including women.
While talking to Voice of KP, Amir Naushad said that the plantation of saplings was an easy task, but taking care of it has always been a tough job saving it against all odds from weather harshness to the human activities.

About the protection of trees he said, “In my village there was a forest having over six million trees occupied by few families who wanted to build homes on the forest land by cutting all the trees standing there.” Amir recalled that he along with his elders of the village bought land from all the families in order to stop tree cutting.
“I myself took the responsibility of taking care of the six million trees as I did not want to lose this huge forest playing a very important role in making my village eco-friendly”, said Amir.
He said that besides plantations in his own district, he has planted thousands of trees in the other districts as well and majority of his planted plants are now growing and taking the shape of full trees.
According to Amir Naushad, he has planted saplings in many government buildings including Schools and hospitals across Khyber Pukhtunkhwa.

About his inspiration, he said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was his inspiration for this initiative as he was the first leader of the country to take lead in making Pakistan eco-friendly.
About expenditure for plantation, Amir Naushad said, “No one is paying me for buying saplings. I am a settled businessman and I dedicated amount of my profit for buying and planting saplings.”
In his message, Amir Naushad said that plantation is a very easy task and everyone in the society should at least plant one tree in his life and help eco-friendly environment.

It is important to mention here that Pakistan is among the few countries in the list badly affected by the global warming and climate change.
According to experts, the reason behind Pakistan’s worst condition of climate change is deforestation and ignorance of people and successive governments towards safeguarding forests. Plantation at government and public level can help fight deforestation.

By Kashmala Yousafzai

Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Pavilion at the Lok Mela Islamabad is able to attract a large number of local as well as foreign enthusiasts of arts and handicrafts. A seven-day culture festival best known as Lok Mela was kicked off on 1^st November which will continue till 7 November. All the provinces of the country have install their stalls composed of different traditional handicrafts, arts and other cultural items. Likewise, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority launches cultural handicrafts for tourists and families at KP Pavilion at the Lol Mela.

The Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Pavilion set up at the Lok Mela has 30 different stalls displaying the heritage, culture and musical diversity of the province’s different parts. The stalls based on provincial culture include straw-work, stoneware, wooden art, Peshawari slippers, crockery, shawls, khadi, wax items on clothes, wax painting, earthenware, glass carving, and various other handicrafts, artificial traditional jewelry, dry fruit etc.

Traditional dance & Music specially Rabab are the main attraction for foreign as well as local visitors. Many foreigners thronged the Khyber Pukhtunkhwa pavilion with keen interest in the local cultural items specially cultural costumes besides getting entertained listening to traditional music of KP. Many of the foreign visitors seen taking pictures with the local KP artisans at the pavilion besides displaying KP attire by wearing these.

Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Tourist Information desk has also been set up for the visitors. In order to provide information about the tourism and tourist destinations of the province to the tourists visiting the Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Pavilion, an SMD screen been installed and documentaries on the tourist destinations of the province are being screened. Foreign tourists said that they were served famous green tea of the province and have been welcomed with respect at the Khyber Pukhtunkhwa pavilion.

Some of the foreign visitors said they have practically witnessed the hospitality of the province, which they used to hear about KP. For the foreign tourists, families, citizens and youth coming to the festival, traditional music of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Rabab and FC Mehsud dance performances are also being presented. The closing ceremony of the folk festival will be held on November 7.