The nonessential lights at the Prime Minister’s Office were turned off for sixty minutes, on Saturday as part of the global Earth Hour movement to protect the environment and save energy.
According to a PM Office statement, all the electric lights of the PM Office were switched off symbolically except those required to ensure security of the building.
Under the PM Imran Khan’s leadership, Pakistan has become an active participant in climate-friendly initiative, and the lights were turned off to reiterate commitment to nature, the statement read.
Started by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 2007, the Earth Hour is a global event which is observed on the last Saturday of March every year. It is now one of the world’s largest grassroots movements for the environment which engages millions of people in more than 180 countries and territories.
But, the Earth Hour goes far beyond the symbolic action of switching off – it has become a catalyst for positive environmental impact, driving major legislative changes by harnessing the power of the people and collective action.
Earlier, in a statement, Prime Minister Imran Khan appealed to the people to support the government in its efforts for a clean and pollution free environment.
In a statement, Foreign Office spokesperson said, “Pakistan joins the world community in marking Earth Hour 2021, as we stand committed to play our due role in tackling environmental issues and protecting the planet Earth -our shared home- through inclusive, cooperative forward-looking Climate Action policies.”
Secretary-General António Guterres , in his message to mark the event, said that “We need to make peace with nature. Without nature’s help, we cannot thrive or even survive on this planet Earth”, he spelled out. The Secretary General warned that the climate disruption, biodiversity loss and pollution “threaten lives, jobs and health”, and called 2021 “a year to change course”.
