Lahore, 9 October, 2026 (Ghufran): Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has approved the establishment of Parks and Horticulture Authorities (PHAs) in every district of the province, along with recruitment against 2,820 technical posts. Chairing a meeting on the establishment of PHAs, plantation campaigns, park restoration and efforts to make cities greener and more attractive, the chief minister was informed that PHAs were already operational in 10 districts, while authorities had been established in another 11 districts. The meeting set January 2027 as the deadline for establishing PHAs in 20 additional districts, with plans to extend the authorities to every tehsil of Punjab in the second phase. Maryam Nawaz directed officials to launch phased plantation campaigns and plant flowering species at the tehsil, city and village levels. She emphasized that trees and flowers should be planted in every available space to ensure that cities, towns and villages across Punjab are covered with greenery. She also ordered the preparation of monthly plans for planting seasonal flowers and directed each district’s PHA to establish its own nursery to grow plants and seasonal flowers for plantation campaigns and provide them to citizens at affordable prices. The meeting approved recruitment for managing directors, directors and technical staff in district PHAs. The chief minister also directed officials to develop key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate the performance of PHA officers and prepare a resource plan for each district authority. Officials informed the meeting that all Category C parks in Lahore had been restored and that each PHA had been assigned targets for improving urban landscapes, beautifying parks and restoring green belts. The briefing also covered plantation initiatives, including bougainvillea along Khayaban-e-Jinnah, bamboo along Atta Bakhsh Road and amaltas trees along other roads, while three varieties of marigold flowers in different colours were being cultivated across the province. Maryam Nawaz approved the design of a PHA food court, while uniform branding for authority staff and vehicles was also decided. Officials further reported that orders had been issued to bring PHA employees working from home back to their offices. The chief minister said plantation had positive effects on the environment and human health, adding that planting trees was not only a virtuous deed but also an important means of protecting people from the effects of climate change.