Green Force Launched with the 'Keep Korang Klean' Drive
'Keep Korang Klean' Drive by Green Force
Written by: Staff Report Posted on: April 27, 2015 | | 中文
(l-r) Dr. Khursheed, DG, Environment Protection Agency, Saima Umar and Bilal Haque of Green Force
The Green Force, a trust formed for saving the environment, was launched with the Keep Korang Klean drive on Sunday, the 26th of April in Bani Gala. They succeeded in assembling over a hundred and twenty children, from different schools of Rawalpindi and Islamabad (Khaldunia, Headstart, Roshni, Schola Nova, Super Nova, ICAS and SOS Village), to clean up the heavily polluted Korang River. The idea behind the drive was to raise awareness of the need to keep our environment clean, and change the culture of the society where the norm is to throw litter everywhere.
The fate of the Korang River is similar to that of other rivers in the vicinity of cities in Pakistan, that of a garbage dump. Plastic bags are choking the natural life in the water, and it will not be long before the fish in the river vanish. Flowing down from the Murree Hills to Islamabad, it feeds the Rawal Lake, the source of water for the citizens of Rawalpindi.
(l-r) Rameez of Green Volunteers, Bilal, Dr. Dushka, Cristina & Saima of Green Force, and Senator Mushahid Hussain
The whole event was made possible with the sponsorship of Nestle, who provided buses to transport students to the site of the clean-up, equipped them with gloves, sticks, garbage bags, masks, caps and T-shirts and served high tea to the participants and guests. Mr Magdi Batato, the CEO of Nestle Pakistan spoke on the occasion, drawing attention to how Switzerland, his home country, had protected its pristine environment.
The Green Force, led by Cristina Afridi, Bilal Haque and Saima Umar, had put the event together, with the enthusiastic assistance of the Green Volunteers and Waste Busters. It was the first environmental clean-up drive of this scale in the twin cities, made high profile by the presence of Imran Khan and Senator Mushahid Hussain. Both of them stressed the need to save the threatened environment, and brought attention to this neglected issue in Pakistan. Cristina Afridi pointed out in her speech how wildlife had disappeared in just a couple of years, as encroachers were illegally occupying this protected area for wildlife.
Collecting garbage
The children who had competed with each other in teams of ten children each, were awarded certificates, and the SOS Village School, Rawalpindi walked away with the prize for collecting the most garbage. The irony was that while the banks of the Korang River looked considerably cleaner after the kids had braved the heat cleaning it, the tent under which the ceremony was held and tea served, was littered with garbage at the end of it. The battle for changing the culture of Pakistanis is going to be long, arduous and challenging for all environmentalists.
As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.
Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.
Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.
YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.
Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.
Nong Rong
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
January 2021
Video message by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed on Black Day of Indian Occupation of Kashmir
Video message by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed on Black Day of Indian Occupation of Kashmir, 27 October 1947, when Indian military troops forcibly occupied Kashmir illegally, claiming a fraudulent ‘Instrument of Accession’ which never existed as documented by eminent British historian Alastair Lamb! Kashmir & Palestine are examples of illegal occupation & continued Resistance to Repression! There are so many commonalities in Kashmir & Palestine: both under brutal military occupation of foreign powers, both are facing an indigenous, popular, spontaneous & widespread Resistance & Uprising, both are in violation of UN Resolutions which haven’t been implemented, both are witnessing an attempted change in the demographic balance, both are facing the use of rape as a weapon of war, both are testimony to double-standards & hypocrisy of Western powers on human rights & fundamental rights, and both conflicts have an element of racism and Islamophobia, while enduring peace, security and stability will remain elusive in both regions, South Asia & Middle East, until these issues are resolved in accordance with popular aspirations.
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