Karachi: Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Chief Monem Zafar Khan, accompanied by East district chief Naeem Akhtar and Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town Chairman Dr. Fawad, inaugurated an urban forest at UC-6, adjacent to Asma Garden, here on Wednesday.
Monem Zafar also planted a sapling as part of the Green Karachi tree plantation campaign. Speaking at the ceremony, Monem Zafar congratulated residents on the establishment of the urban forest and praised the town chairman and his team, saying efforts were being made to turn Gulshan-e-Iqbal into a 'real garden'.
He said the establishment of an urban forest in Gulshan-e-Iqbal was a symbol of a better urban life in the face of climate change.
He recalled that more than 1, 000 trees had also been planted at a university last year, and said the JI's vision was to establish urban forests in all nine towns of Karachi.
'Over the past three years, our town administrations have restored 234 parks and introduced the concept of open-air gyms in parks, ' he said.
He stressed the need for large-scale tree plantation in Karachi in view of climate change, saying the JI's local-government leadership was working towards this objective through plantation drives and urban forests.
He said that Karachi had effectively been turned into a concrete jungle under the patronage of the Sindh government and other government institutions.
'Large buildings have been constructed, but trees have been removed, ' he said, adding that thousands of trees had been uprooted for the Red Line project from Malir Cantonment to Mazar-i-Quaid.
He said thousands of citizens had lost their lives during the heatwaves of 2015-16, while the absence of trees also increased the risk of urban flooding after heavy rains.
Citing research, he said one tree was necessary for every seven people and urged every Karachi resident to plant a tree outside their home.
'Karachi belongs to all of us, and the Jamaat-i-Islami has always owned the city, ' he said, adding that his party would continue planting trees to protect the city and improve its environment.
Dr. Fawad said the inauguration was a moment of gratitude and happiness for the residents of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, stressing that greenery was essential to meeting the challenge of climate change.
He said two urban forests had been established last year and hundreds of saplings had already been planted at the newly inaugurated site. 'We will establish two more urban forests this year, ' he said, appealing to residents to protect the saplings and extend full cooperation in making Gulshan-e-Iqbal green and verdant.
UC-6 Ward-2 councillors Syed Tauseef Jameel, area nazim Nabeel Ahmed Farooqui, UC-6 chairman Nasir Ashfaq and others were also present on the occasion.