By Our Correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Given the past experience, the environmentalists have stated that trees can once again become a ‘casualty’ of a long march that is likely to reach Islamabad on November 4.
They said when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan led a long march to Islamabad on May 25 this year the participants burnt down 315 trees and green spaces in the main Blue Area as a protest against shelling by the policemen.
Astonishingly, not a single person was punished for this horrible act that had raised the eyebrows of environmentalists even in foreign countries.
Pakistan earned appreciation from the whole world due to its ambitious green initiatives like the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami project, Clean Green Pakistan, and Protected Areas Initiative. But it faced embarrassment after this incident at the international level.
Amir Tanoli, an environmentalist, said “PTI chairman Imran Khan should ask the participants of the long march to avoid causing any kind of damage to trees and green spaces. Civilized societies always give importance to the natural environment and protect it at any cost.”
Recently, farmers from different parts of the country also reached Islamabad to hold protest and highlight their problems.
But, unfortunately, many of them cut off tree branches especially in Fatima Jinnah Park to prepare themselves against any police action.
Abrar Ahmad, a student of environmental sciences, said “If the PTI chairman decides to stage a protest sit-in then the participants will definitely burn tree branches to get them warm at night as the weather is getting cold in Islamabad.”
“Unfortunately, the political parties often cause damage to the natural environment during their power showdowns, and cutting off tree branches and burning down trees is not new in our politics,” he said.
