# CM KPK Afridi Launches Mega Tree Plantation Drive in Nowshera
**NOWSHERA:** Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Friday inaugurated a **mega tree plantation campaign in Spin Khak, Nowshera**, as part of Independence Day celebrations, planting saplings at the site.
Addressing the ceremony, the chief minister said the provincial government had initially set a target of planting **1.4 million saplings in a single day**, but the Forest Department exceeded the target by planting around **1.7 million saplings across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa**.
Afridi said his government was committed to increasing forest cover and making the province greener, adding that the plantation campaign would be expanded to every part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said public funds were being invested in projects designed to benefit future generations and praised the performance of the Forest Department. He added that residents of Garhi Chandan had received **Rs70 million from forest-generated revenues**.
The chief minister said the plantation drive had gained added importance following recent **flash floods and cloudburst incidents**, stressing that increased forest cover could play an important role in addressing environmental challenges and strengthening climate resilience.
He also directed the Forest Department to establish **tourist huts in forest areas** across the province to promote tourism and create economic opportunities for local communities.
Afridi further instructed the department to attract foreign tourists and ensure that each foreign visitor planted a tree in their own name as part of the province’s environmental conservation efforts.
The chief minister said environmental protection, sustainable development and intergenerational welfare were central to the provincial government’s development agenda.
During his address, Afridi also spoke about his political commitments and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)’s ongoing political struggle. He said the party’s vision was based on constitutional supremacy and the rule of law and vowed to continue pursuing these objectives.
He urged residents of Spin Khak to participate in the **September 27 public gathering**, claiming that more than two million people would march towards Islamabad. He said he would personally lead the long march and that supporters would return only after achieving their stated objectives.
Afridi said he had not entered politics for power, wealth or protocol, but to support what he described as Imran Khan’s struggle for justice, political change and “real freedom”.
He also alleged that Imran Khan had been unjustly imprisoned and said the provincial government would continue its political struggle for his release alongside its governance efforts. He said the September 27 long march had been named **“Bilqees.”**
The chief minister also praised the public response during Independence Day celebrations, saying young people had turned various city intersections into “D-Chowks” on the night of August 13.
He urged citizens to maintain the same enthusiasm while contributing to the government’s efforts to protect the environment, expand forest cover and build a more sustainable future for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Story by Muhammad Shahid
