KU Botanical Garden, Herbarium Named After Former VC Professor Dr Syed Irtafaq Ali

Karachi University's Botanical Garden and Herbarium named after varsity's former vice chancellor Professor Dr Syed Irtafaq Ali here on Saturday

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th May, 2021 ) :Karachi University's Botanical Garden and Herbarium named after varsity's former vice chancellor Professor Dr Syed Irtafaq Ali here on Saturday.

Addressing the ceremony held here on Saturday in the regard, the spokesman to Sindh government and the Advisor to the Chief Minister on Law, Environment and Coastal Development, Barrister Murtaza Wahab appreciated the KU management for renaming Botanic Garden and Herbarium after its former VC Prof. Dr Syed Irtafaq Ali, who has contributed a lot in the field of botany and plants.

The services of those who worked for the welfare of the society should always be remembered and only those societies develop which do not forget their heroes, he said adding that it was a very good way to acknowledge their services and a nice manner to pay homage.

The University of Karachi has set a very good example in this regard and we need to set such examples in society on a large scale to show respect to those who have helped the society in the past. He shared that more than 43,000 students are studying at the University of Karachi and the Karachi University is continuously planting trees which are very commendable.

He advised that if every student takes responsibility for taking care of a plant, the University would present a more beautiful scene and if we all adopt the same style as a nation, the environment would change dramatically.

Highlighting the importance of clean environment and provincial government's measures for a clean and green city, he observed that usually governments give priority to development but forget about environmental development.

"This is so unfortunate that no attention was paid to tree plantation in Karachi in the past. As a citizen, we need to plant plenty of trees to improve the environment in the megacity," Wahab said adding that "Building roads and bridges makes it easier for us but greenery is essential for our health." He said that plants will surely benefit the generations for decades to come and he was happy that the administration of the University of Karachi gives special attention to this cause. He termed that global warming is actually a global warning for all of us and we have to think about the future of our children and take part in plantation drives on regular basis.

On this occasion, the KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi said that Professor Dr Syed Irtafaq Ali was a renowned botanist, and his services will always be remembered.

He mentioned that besides research on different types of plants in the said garden, students were also provided awareness about the importance of plants. He said that that global warming is a global challenge in modern times and has become a major challenge especially for Pakistan and the city of Karachi.

He mentioned that owing to the rising temperature in Karachi everyone has become familiar with the importance and usefulness of tree planting. "I am happy to inform that not only tree plantation is being done regularly in the University of Karachi but also the care of plants is being ensured which is evidenced by this clean and green campus." The Professor Iraqi shared that around 200,000 saplings were planted in 2019 in different locations of the campus while in the next two years we have planted over 100,000 during various plantation campaigns. "The University of Karachi is part of the Sindh Environment Department's "Clean and Green" campaign because global warming is a major challenge for the country and particularly for Karachi," he stated.

The former vice chancellor Professor Dr Muhammad Qaiser said that Professor Dr Syed Irtafaq Ali was a renowned botanist who played a very important role in gathering information about the plants present in the country and that is why the University of Karachi has paid tribute to him in recognition of his long services.

Earlier, the Director Prof. Dr. Syed Irtafaq Ali Botanic Gardens and Herbarium, Professor Dr Anjum Parveen delivered the welcome address and informed the audience about the types and variety of plants present in the said garden while Professor Dr Anila Amber Malik, Department of Psychology, KU, delivered the vote of thanks.

The KU Registrar Professor Dr Abdul Waheed, the Member Sindh Assembly and member KU Syndicate Sadia Javed and another member KU Syndicate Sahibzada Moazzam Qureshi, deans of various faculties and chairpersons, and faculty members of various departments were also present on the occasion.