SUKKUR. Senior leader of Pakistan People’s Party and MNA Syed Khurshid Ahmad Shah has directed to plant 5 lakh to 10 lakh trees on both sides of Indus river. He directed the Commissioner Sukkur to contact the irrigation department and plant trees on both sides of the rivers. Such instructions were issued by Syed Khurshid Ahmad Shah while presiding over a meeting held at the commissioner’s office regarding establishing afforestation and green belt in Sukkur city. Awan, a senior member of the People’s Party, said that the third party should also be invited in Sukkur for afforestation. In this regard, the deputy commissioner should make a list of all the landowners/settlers, and they should be encouraged to do so, and compensation should be given to these settlers. MNA Syed Khurshid Ahmad Shah said that a comprehensive strategy should also be made regarding the exemption of the tax of the tree growers. He further said that the punishment for cutting down trees is fixed all over the world, but in our country everyone cuts down trees of their own free will. Permission should be taken from the Commissioner. MNA Syed Khurshid Ahmad Shah said that afforestation and establishment of green belts have become indispensable to face the climate change. A healthy environment without afforestation is very important for which the officials of all concerned departments have to be serious. He further said that education, health and other sectors have to be improved and the environment has to be improved. On this occasion, Syed Khurshid Ahmad Shah said that the attendance of the employees of the municipal corporation should be ensured, they are getting salary of crores of rupees. On this occasion, Commissioner Sukkur Fayyaz Hussain Abbasi formed a task force headed by DC Sukkur for afforestation, in which officers from other departments including forest, irrigation, agriculture, police were included. He said that there has been a lot of improvement in education and health within the division, there is a need to work on the environment for which comprehensive planning will be done. He also directed to establish a task force headed by DC Sukkur and start the work within 15 days. He said that a meeting should also be held with the community in connection with the establishment of green belt and tree planting in the city. Officials of DC Sukkur, Municipal Commissioner Sukkur, Revenue, Forest, Agriculture and Irrigation and other concerned departments participated in the meeting.