Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday launched a five-year campaign titled “Clean and Green Pakistan” in Islamabad, Radio Pakistan reported.
Addressing those present at a ceremony in the federal capital, the premier said that a countrywide cleanliness campaign will be launched on Saturday, which will continue for the next five years.
“The president, governors, ministers and chief ministers would participate in ceremonies aimed at making Pakistan clean and green,” the premier added.
PM Imran further said the plan revolved around four aspects, adding it involved a holistic approach aimed at alleviating pollution in the air, ground and water.
The premier urged members of the civil society to complement the government’s efforts to raise awareness in the society about sanitation and environment.
“Cleanliness would form part of the syllabus from class one to five, and this initiative has been started has been made from the institutions of the federal capital.”
For the disposal of solid waste, dumping sites would be identified from the village to tehsil level. “Waste-to-energy projects would be undertaken around these sites for generation of electricity to meet the requirements of power.”
PM Imran also conveyed to news reporters that a cleanliness competition would be held in tehsils after every two months, saying officials concerned would be rewarded or penalised on the basis of the state of cleanliness in their areas of jurisdiction.
He further said that administration of all petrol pumps and CNG stations have been ordered to keep toilets there neat and clean, or else they would be penalised.
“Monitors and volunteers would help the government monitor the progress in realisation of the cherished objective of making Pakistan clean and green,” the premier added. “Advocates and ambassadors of clean and green Pakistan would also be chosen from different segments of the society, including media, showbiz and sports.”
Emphasising the need for cleanliness, he noted that the facility of toilets is only available to 42% Pakistanis, and that lack of it also affects tourism.
“Government will ensure during the next five years that there is a toilet in every house”, he added.
Concluding his address, the premier said that other countries of the region have made remarkable progress pertaining to cleanliness, adding he sees no reason as to why Pakistan cannot achieve this goal.
