CM Maryam urges citizens to plant trees for greener Punjab

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Jul, 2026) Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Saturday hailed the remarkable success of the province’s plantation drive, saying Punjab’s Green Revolution had reached an unprecedented scale through the collective efforts of the government and the people.

The CM urged every citizen to plant at least one tree to help build a greener and healthier future.

In a post on X, the chief minister said the Punjab Plantation Drive 2025-26 had achieved major milestones, with 40 million saplings planted, 41,342 acres brought under plantation and 3,085 avenue miles lined with trees across the province. She said barren lands stretching from Dera Ghazi Khan to Bahawalpur were being transformed into thriving forests through the dedication of Team Punjab, adding that the campaign marked the beginning of a long-term environmental transformation. “This is just the beginning, Insha’Allah. By the grace of Allah, the Punjab of the next decade will be a province of forests, clean air and living rivers for generations to come,” she said.

CM Maryam Nawaz said the completion of Punjab’s two-year afforestation mission ranked among the most significant environmental achievements in the province’s history. Recalling the government’s pledge to revive Punjab’s forests, she said the commitment had been fulfilled with nearly 50 million trees planted across 54,986 acres between April 2024 and Spring 2026.

She said the impact of the campaign was visible across the province, from Muzaffargarh to Murree, Chichawatni to Faisalabad, and Rahim Yar Khan to Gujranwala, where degraded landscapes were once again turning green.

Describing tree plantation as “tomorrow’s inheritance”, the chief minister urged citizens to actively participate in the campaign by planting trees and becoming partners in the mission to build a greener Punjab.

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“What was grey is now green, and what is green shall be protected. This is our gift to generations we may never meet. One mission. One greener Punjab,” she added.

Highlighting achievements under the Plant for Pakistan Spring Tree Plantation Campaign 2025, she said the restoration of barren lands had emerged as another major milestone, with thousands of acres converted into green landscapes between October 2024 and June 2025.

Sharing details of key plantation sites, the chief minister said around 1.815 million saplings had been planted over 1,500 acres at Ghazi Ghat in Muzaffargarh, 559,000 plants over 2,091 acres at Thul Maghraj in Rajanpur, 708,000 plants across 1,470 acres at Khanani and Rakh Murghai in Muzaffargarh, and 242,000 plants over 200 acres at Pakhowal in Gujrat.

She added that restoration work had also been expanded to Jhok Reserve Forest, Lal Suhanra, Mianwali, Gujranwala and Murree, reflecting the Punjab government’s resolve to restore forests and expand green cover across the province.

The chief minister also highlighted the adoption of modern technology for forest conservation, saying Punjab’s forests were now being monitored round the clock through the Forest Department’s GIS Lab using artificial intelligence-powered drones, satellite imagery and a modern command and control centre.

She said the digital monitoring system enabled the instant detection of illegal tree cutting, encroachments and forest fires through satellite platforms, including Landsat, Sentinel, SPOT and WorldView, ensuring timely action to protect forest resources.

Calling forests a national trust, Maryam Nawaz said every technological innovation was reinforcing efforts to conserve Punjab’s natural heritage and secure a greener future for generations to come. She reiterated her appeal to citizens to plant a tree and play their role in protecting the environment.