Students who plant trees will be given 20 marks extra: Zartaj Gul

• Youth involvement necessary to achieve PM Imran Khan's vision of clean, green Pakistan, says Zartaj Gul.
• Gul says programmes like ‘20 Plants 20 Numbers’ will encourage youth to be a part of this national goal.
• Gul says the legislation would make planting of 20 saplings compulsory for a university graduate.

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul said on Wednesday special legislation granting 20 additional marks was underway to integrate the youth into Prime Minister’s Ten Billion Tree Tsunami plantation project.

The state minister, in her exclusive interview to APP, said that in line with PM Imran Khan’s clean and green Pakistan vision, a unique and innovative effort was conceived to make it incumbent upon university graduates to plant 20 trees during the course of their study.

Gul said the legislation would make the planting of 20 saplings compulsory for a university graduate, while the varsity and district administration would help them locate feasible sites.

Under PM Imran Khan's vision for a clean and green Pakistan, the full participation of youth in the movement to plant more trees in the country would be encouraged through this legislation, she added.

The minister said the premier wanted to make the future of coming generations safe and sustainable through nature conservation.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan, to this end, not only presented the idea of a clean, green, and prosperous Pakistan, but also put it into practice.

"He has introduced several revolutionary initiatives for environmental preservation,” Gul said.

For the success of the Clean and Green Pakistan movement, active participation of all sections of the society was being ensured, she said.

Explaining the proposed scheme for students, the minister of state said extra marks were given to the students involved in National Cadet Corps (NCC); additional marks would also be given to the students for planting trees as part of educational activities.

“Programmes like ‘20 Plants 20 Numbers’ will not only encourage the youth to be a part of this national goal but will also further our dream of making Pakistan a green and prosperous country,” she said.

Gul said under this scheme, millions of saplings could be planted every year which would prove to be a valuable asset for the future of the country and future generations.