By Adnan Hameed TWA ______ Dr. Jemal Beker, Special Envoy and Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, on Saturday spearheaded a cleaning drive at Trail 5 in Islamabad to purge the Margala Hills of trash that posed a serious threat to the wildlife in the National Park.

The drive, jointly organized by the Ethiopian Embassy Islamabad, GhoomLay, and Studio One, was launched as part of the Ethio-Pakistan Fraternity under the Green Legacy Initiative of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Dr. Abiy Ahmed. Individuals from all walks of life, including government officials, the diplomatic community, civil society, youth, and media, participated in the cleaning drive, which was aimed at fostering Ethio-Pakistan fraternity by pursuing joint efforts for a better future for both countries.

Talking to the media on the occasion, Dr. Jemal Beker said today's gathering was meant to send a message that mass mobilization of human and financial resources is the solution to resolving contemporary and emerging challenges such as climate change. He said, "Ethiopia is building a green economy by planting more than 40.5 billion seedlings of fruits, vegetables, and fodder over the last five years, which has created jobs and ensured food security in Ethiopia. The record-breaking plantation was undertaken under the Green Legacy Initiative, which is inspired by the Medemer philosophy of our Prime Minister, advocating for mass mobilization and alignment of resources." "We have launched this Green Legacy Initiative in Pakistan as I personally visited all the cities of Pakistan, mobilizing all segments of society to mitigate the serious threat of climate change," he added, urging the youth to be at the forefront of such an important cause.

He expressed his gratitude to the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, GhoomLay, and Studio One for partnering with the Ethiopian Embassy Islamabad on such a humanitarian and kind initiative. The Ambassador also lauded the Government of Pakistan's commitment to working with Ethiopia to enhance bilateral, regional, and multilateral cooperation between the two countries in various areas such as the economy, education, health, climate change, culture, and technology transfer.

Chief Executive Officer of GhoomLay (Pvt) Limited, Muhammad Haris, thanked the Ethiopian Embassy Islamabad for partnering with his organization and others to clean Trail 5 Margala Hills. He reiterated his commitment to taking the necessary initiatives for protecting the environment in the Federal Capital Islamabad and other cities.