Islamabad: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has underscored that Pakistan and Canada needed to further deepen and expand bilateral cooperation in diverse fields.

He was talking to his Canadian counterpart Mélanie Joly through a video call in Islamabad on Wednesday.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari underlined that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Pakistan and Canada and maintained that both countries were holding activities to befittingly celebrate this milestone occasion.

Agreeing with the Foreign Minister,Mélanie Joly stressed that Canada was keen to solidify multi-dimensional ties with Pakistan.

In the context of situation in Afghanistan, Mélanie Joly particularly thanked Pakistan for its unremitting support in the evacuation process since last August. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari underlined that Pakistan had been facilitating the evacuations on a humanitarian basis. The Foreign Minister also reiterated the need for scaled up support of the international community in protecting the lives and livelihoods of the Afghan people in the wake of dire humanitarian and economic crises and acknowledged Canada’s humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan.

During the video call, Mélanie Joly congratulated the Foreign Minister on his assumption of office and hoped that Pakistan-Canada ties would further strengthen and widen under his leadership.

The two Ministers agreed to remain in close contact. The Foreign Minister also conveyed his cordial greetings and best regards to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari invited Mélanie Joly to visit Pakistan which she accepted the invitation and underlined that she was looking forward to visit Pakistan at her earliest convenience.

Islamabad: Rain-wind/thundershower is expected in Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan during the next twelve hours.

Heavy falls are also likely at scattered places in Sindh, eastern Balochistan, South Punjab and Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the period.

Temperature of some major cities recorded this morning:  

Islamabad and Peshawar twenty-five degree centigrade, Lahore twenty-eight, Karachi twenty-seven, Quetta twenty-one, Gilgit twenty, Murree seventeen and  Muzaffarabad twenty-two degree centigrade.   

According to Met Office forecast for Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, partly cloudy/chances of rain-wind and thundershower in Srinagar, Jammu, leh, Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian and Baramula.

Temperature recorded this morning:          

Srinagar, Anantnag and Shopian nineteen degree centigrade, Jammu twenty-eight, Leh fourteen, Pulwama and Baramula twenty degree centigrade.    

Islamabad: President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday called for concerted efforts by all segments of society to carry out extensive plantations in a bid to save the country from the horrendous effects of climate change.

In his message on the launch of the national monsoon tree plantation drive, he urged every citizen, particularly youth, to actively participate in the campaign by planting trees in residential areas, on roadsides, and near industrial zones.

President Alvi said Pakistan was the eighth country most vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change.

He mentioned that rising mercury levels were resulting in glacier melting and urban flooding.

During the last 19 years, he said, Pakistan suffered around 173 incidents related to climate change besides the massive destruction this year as well.

The president said as per international standards, a country required 25 percent forest cover, however, pointed out that Pakistan only had 4.8 percent of the green area according to a World Bank report.

He emphasized carrying out plantation at a large scale across the country and mentioned the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami as the largest such plantation project in the country’s history.

Under the project, he said, 1.81 billion trees had been planted by June 2022. By 2023, around 3.29 billion trees will be planted.

President Alvi said 10,000 saplings were planted in the premises of the Aiwan-e-Sadr in 2021, while a Miyawaki forest was also raised at an area of 1.5 acres under the Green Presidency Initiative.

He expressed confidence that an increase in forest cover would help mitigate the effects of climate change in the country and would also control urban flooding.

Also, the extensive plantation would result in the preservation of wildlife and flora and fauna in the country, he added.