Islamabad, March 19, 2025: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday inaugurated the 2025 Spring Tree Plantation Drive, aiming to plant 41.7 million saplings across the country. He called on the nation—particularly youth and farmers—to actively participate in the initiative to combat climate change and improve public health.
Launching the campaign by planting a Chir Pine sapling at the Prime Minister’s House, Shehbaz Sharif emphasized that the plantation effort will cover all four provinces, as well as Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), under the Up-Scaling of Green Pakistan Program.
Government has set the regional plantation targets as following:
Punjab: 12.87 million, Sindh: 10 million, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP): 2.633 million, Balochistan: 2.062 million, Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK): 10.147 million and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB): 4 million
The campaign will feature 2,047 events nationwide, surpassing the 40.5 million saplings planted during the 2024 monsoon drive. The primary tree species include Kikar, Jand, Amaltas, Shisham, Sukh Chain, Phulai, Chir, Kail, Deodar, Peepal, Neem, Beri, Jaman, Imli, and Chilgoza.
The prime minister highlighted the urgent need for afforestation, citing Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change despite its minimal contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions. He recalled the devastating 2022 floods, which underscored the need for large-scale environmental initiatives.
“Tree plantation efforts will not only improve the environment but also help prevent various diseases,” he stated, urging citizens to seek Allah’s blessings during Ramadan and contribute to the country’s progress.
According to official data, the Revised Upscaling of Green Pakistan Program (2024-28) is in progress. It aims to plant 945 million new trees, maintain 2.221 billion existing trees and improve tree species and promote sustainable forest management.
Since 2019, 720,916 hectares have been afforested under the Green Pakistan Program (2019-25), creating over 1.42 million man-months of green jobs.
