Islamabad: The University of Sargodha launched a large-scale monsoon tree planting campaign at its College of Agriculture (CoA) under the Prime Minister’s Green Youth Movement. The initiative, a partnership between the university’s Forestry Department and the Punjab Forest Department, saw thousands of saplings planted. Students from The City School Sargodha notably planted 500 saplings in just one minute.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Qaiser Abbas commenced the program by planting a sapling. Numerous university officials, including Pro Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Masood Sarwar Awan, Principal CoA Prof. Dr. Ijaz Rasool Noorka, and department heads, participated, alongside faculty members and students. External dignitaries such as international educationist Prof. Dr. Ihtesham-ur-Rehman, Dr. Najeti Safini from IDRC Canada, and representatives from the Punjab Forest Department and WWF Pakistan were also in attendance.

Prof. Dr. Abbas emphasized the critical role of forests in national well-being, urging every citizen to plant a tree yearly. He highlighted the university’s commitment to expanding green cover across its campuses. Prof. Dr. Awan commended the university’s One Health Unit for its comprehensive approach to well-being and stressed the urgent need to address deforestation.

Prof. Dr. Noorka reported that 5,000 saplings were planted during the previous spring campaign, with plans to further increase these numbers annually. A seminar titled “Forests, Based Climate Solutions” was also conducted, featuring presentations by forestry experts and officials from WWF, the College of Agriculture, and the university’s One Health Unit, focusing on the significance of forests in environmental protection and sustainability.