A dedicated youth activist and student at Karachi American School (KAS), Aneeqa Bashir, has taken the lead in an initiative dedicated to safeguarding the national heritage of Karachi, the Banyan trees, contributing to the vision of a “Greener Pakistan.”
The primary goal of this program is to promote a sustainable lifestyle while preserving Karachi’s national heritage.
The core objective of this endeavor is to protect Karachi’s natural heritage, ensuring the city remains clean and environmentally friendly.
Aneeqa Bashir emphasized the importance of fostering ongoing environmental discussions that highlight the significance of preserving green heritage from a long-term perspective.
“We cannot look at climate change as an eventuality or future threat, we are already in the midst of it. As a climate-vulnerable country, Pakistan has already suffered from devastating floods that threaten to become a frequent recurrence,” Aneeqa says.
Aneeqa’s efforts have received wholehearted support from the Mayor of Karachi, Mr. Murtaza Wahab. This collaboration has resulted in Banyan Trees along Amir Khusro Road being declared a protected green heritage.
Aneeqa states: “Our green heritage is as much a part of our collective future as it has been of our past. We must thus preserve and restore our heritage trees alongside planting new trees; without effective care mechanisms, plantation efforts will be futile.”
As awareness for this initiative grows and the security of the Banyan trees is ensured, Aneeqa now envisions broadening the scope of this initiative across Karachi along with creating a digital database to preserve this national heritage.
