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ISLAMABAD, Apr 16 (APP):Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Mussadik Malik, on Wednesday in his keynote speech at the Islamabad Business Summit, urged immediate action to restore the country’s fading natural beauty with a stark warning about Pakistan’s deteriorating environment.
Drawing from personal memories, Dr Malik painted a vivid picture of a Pakistan now slipping away. “For me, the environment is like the fireflies we caught as children, bottled up to watch them glow—only to release them when told they’d die otherwise,” he said.
“In Lahore’s parks, we chased butterflies and set them free. Rivers were so clean we’d jump in, drink from them, even cool watermelons in their flow. That was our environment.”
But today, he lamented, those sights are vanishing. “Where are the parrots in the trees. The nightingales, Why can’t people sleep under the stars on wooden bed anymore” he asked, highlighting the silent erosion of Pakistan’s ecological heritage.
The minister pointed to Finland as a model, noting how the Nordic nation transformed its forest-based economy into a global leader in environmental technology. “Finland set the highest standards—we must do the same,” he asserted. However, he stressed that progress requires funding: “Without financial resources, change is impossible. We welcome the Green Deal and Green Financing and seek global partnerships.”
Dr Malik also spotlighted the plight of marginalized communities, particularly in mountainous regions, who bear the brunt of climate disasters. “While we debate policies, they face floods, food shortages, and extreme weather. Their resilience must guide our actions,” he said.
Rejecting a return to outdated approaches, the minister called for evidence-based solutions. “We cannot go back to the 1980s. We need science, data, and smart policies to revive our planet.”
His closing message was both a warning and a rallying cry:“The environment isn’t just trees and laws—it’s our childhood, our colors, our joy. We must fight to bring it back.”