Chitrali environment activist starts plantation drive from Lahore
LAHORE, Feb 6: The Chitral Heritage and Environmental Protection Society (CHEPS) started its plantation drive and cleanliness programme from Racecourse Park Lahore on Thursday.
In this plantation drive, students from Chitral studying in different universities of Lahore, participated. Prominent environmental lawyer of Lahore High Court, Ahmad Rafay Alam, who also teaches environmental law at LUMS, along with the renowned professor of National College of Arts Sheherzad Alam also attended the programme.
This was the first environmental campaign of this year organized by CHEPS. Participants of the event planted varieties of trees at Racecourse Park as a symbolic event for the plantation drive expected to be undertaken in Chitral this year.
Addressing the youth, Chairman CHEPS Rehmat Ali Jafar Dost said that his society will plant one lakh trees in Chitral in the year 2014. He further said his dream was to make Pakistan clean and green. In this endeavor, students will play the role of change agent in disseminating environment friendly ideas, and to curb further devastation of the ecosystem. So that together, we would be able to build clean and green Pakistan.]]>
Rehmat Ali is doing a great service by raising awareness in our area regarding environmental degradation. Some of the commentators have shown their anxiety regarding his work but i think we should appreciate rather than showing our antagonism. Mr Dost as we know him is doing service for Chitralis free of cost and has made good name for himself. We should not negatively criticize people and look for positive contributions people are making in our area.
Look at his vision, it is “Clean and Green Pakistan”. That is an inspiring vision, specially for us, Chitralis. And that is where all of his critics must go silent! He spreads awareness from boroghol to Karachi. Our forefathers and ourselves may have tremendously damaged the balance of the ecosystem, but Rehmat Ali is the first one to aware us regarding the damage that may be controlled. He is planning to plant millions of trees this year, in Chitral and our best wishes, prayers and support are always with him.
sickening mentality. If someone tries to do some good he is accused of being funded and getting money. I doubt if one the commentator even knows what “billion dollars” are equal to. Everyone has his own way of carrying out his mission. If you are concerned too then why don’t you yourself go hunger strike instead of waiting for others?
Ta mikgini booni golto b sarozan molan d nezi plik kori dorante alani tan payan gani, to ho b phordo baisan.jam tamasha,hamote rer zondre chal.
Impressive indeed very impressive planting saplings in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi. If this gentleman is so keen to protect the environment he must stage a hunger strike against timber mafias in Chitral along with his supporters. I hereby state Rehmat Ali Jafer Dost and even his supporters will emerge as true heroes. Planting a tree at Shakerpariyan hill along with a group of young people to get some cheap publicity will serve no interest except a photo session. The Chitralis better concentrate on issues faced by the valley instead of coming to Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi as we already have more than enough people here for planting saplings. I would recommend the budding environmentalist to get the soil sample of Dolomuts checked by the Agriculture University Peshawar and plant trees in the better suited soil and environment of the mountains. Another suggestion is Kagh Lasht, the area adjacent to Govt College Booni, Ruroom etc will also satisfy your environmentalist pursuit. I know there are billions of dollars coming from outside for environment and many people throng to Islamabad for having some petty cash from the purple-tie baboos sitting in the federal capital.
Impressive undertaking by Mr. Jafardost who is doing a wonderful contribution towards a sustainable environment. “Where there is a will there is a way” correctly fits on you. With literally no resources at your disposal, taking voluntary initiative like this is really commendable. Keep it up.
Sorry sir, he is spending winter in the urban areas instead of focusing Chitral.
The main target of CHEPS is always Chitral. These events are organization to rise awareness in our Chitrali youth living in the urban cities. to teach them the importance of trees and environment. And I don’t think organizing Plantation events in Islamabad and Lahore will harm our environment. Our Ainak wala uncle is planting trees not begging for funds from donors. And I don’t know what you are trying to prove. there are trees and historical tree which you say in Lahore. Does that means we should not plant trees in Lahore?
CHEPS is planting 1 lakh trees in Chitral this year. if You want to know what is going on.
It is not understandable for me about this so-called organization. Instead of focusing on Chitral, this ainak wala uncle always have been seen in the rural areas with his team. I feel doubt about his spending money if he gets from the donors. Chitral is a baran district throughout KPK and this man is planting saplings in Lahore where historical trees gave much shadow and also gave much oxygen to its residents. Really amazing. I think CHEPS is playing a double standard act.
A man with impaired vision and no great education but a firm faith in his endeavor leads our generation to awakening. We salute Rehmat Ali Jaffer Dost for his noble cause and believe that his followers would increase with each passing day and his dream will come true.
Understanding our responsibilities towards the environment that we borrow from our coming generations; is a realization which must pave the way for action, action that we cannot postpone for the future, rather an action that we must execute in the present, execute now. There may be several confusions, misconceptions and ambiguities but the alarming pace at which our environment is deteriorating is a terrible fact, a fact that we must be afraid of.
We take the ecosystem that we live in, for granted, and we sit back telling ourselves that our contributions (if anyone of us thought, were required) to protect the system, are insignificant. Here is one man telling us they aren’t insignificant. Here is one man leading the way, with selflessness, passion and dedication. Rehmat Ali Jaffar with his unmatched dedication towards the environmental cause is indeed a beacon of light in the darkness. A man rising from the mountains, with a vision as great as a ‘CLEAN AND GREEN PAKISTAN’ is indeed an inspiration for all of us. His dream may be too big to come true in his lifetime but the future generations may Insha’Allah certainly see it.
And kudos to the ‘women and men from the mountains’, for the great event held in Lahore. You are all indeed the symbol of a new dawn!!
As William Blake fittingly puts it “GREAT things are done when men and mountains meet;
This is not done by jostling in the street.”!