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LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Jun, 2026) Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman on Tuesday said the provincial government had laid the foundation of a green and sustainable future through extensive forest conservation, tree plantation and wildlife protection initiatives, including the planting of more than 50 million trees and the establishment of new wildlife sanctuaries across the province.
Presenting the 2026-27 budget in the Punjab Assembly, the minister said that for the first time in Punjab's history, a large-scale tree plantation campaign was being carried out to increase forest cover. Under the initiative, more than 50 million trees had been planted over 50,869 acres of land, including approximately 37.5 million trees during the current fiscal year.
He said the government had ensured 100 percent geo-tagging of planted trees to facilitate effective monitoring and transparency. In the next fiscal year, trees would be planted on more than 12,000 acres of barren land in Southern Punjab through the use of satellite technology, drones and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
The minister said Punjab's first Digital Forest Inventory was being developed with the help of modern mapping systems and satellite technology, describing it as a unique initiative aimed at strengthening forest management and conservation efforts.
To further protect forests, he said, a dedicated Forest Protection Force had been activated and Forest Helpline 1084 established. He added that more than 1,850 acres of forest land worth over Rs five billion had been retrieved from illegal occupation across the province, while AI-based fire warning systems and command and control centres had also been introduced.
Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman said Rs 8 billion had been allocated under the Chief Minister Plant for Pakistan Programme for the plantation of over 10 million trees throughout Punjab.
He said Rs2.5 billion was being spent on restoring 17,249 acres of the Bela ecosystem in Dera Ghazi Khan, while another Rs2.
<?php /*?> <?php */?>5 billion had been allocated for the restoration of the Pirowal Irrigated Plantation, where 3.3 million trees would be planted.
Highlighting wildlife conservation measures, the minister said the Punjab government had recently declared a long stretch of the Indus River in Rajanpur and adjoining areas as a Dolphin Wildlife Sanctuary to protect the province’s largest population of endangered Indus River dolphins.
He said a state-of-the-art wildlife hospital was also being constructed in Lahore at a cost of Rs1.47 billion to improve treatment and rehabilitation facilities for wild animals.
The minister said Punjab was the only province in the country to have utilised artificial intelligence technology for a comprehensive wildlife survey, the findings of which were being used to improve wildlife conservation and management.
He said development projects were underway in Changa Manga, Choti Chali and Chashma at a total cost of Rs8.71 billion, for which Rs1.2 billion had been allocated during the current fiscal year.
Similarly, he said implementation of the Bansra Gali Zoological Garden project in Murree was continuing at a cost of Rs3.92 billion, while Rs600 million had been proposed for the project in the upcoming fiscal year.
The finance minister further announced that work would begin on the master plan of Safari Zoo Lahore at a cost of Rs seven billion to modernise wildlife facilities and enhance conservation efforts.
He said a new Bher Loi Zoological Garden would be established in Jallo, Rawalpindi, at a cost of Rs12 billion to promote wildlife protection, environmental awareness and eco-tourism.
Additionally, a Bird Park, Experience Zone, Command and Control Centre and related facilities would be upgraded at a cost of Rs2.5 billion, he added.
The minister said these initiatives would play a vital role in preserving wildlife, enhancing public awareness about environmental conservation and promoting eco-friendly tourism across Punjab.
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