The Arabic Gum tree (Acacia nilotica), locally known as "Kiker", is common in Punjab. It is known as "dukh such ka saathi": a friend through joy and sorrow.
There is a great variety of native trees in Pakistan, which many of us cannot identify. The following is a photographic index of some of the trees you can see across the country. – Text and photos by Sayed Qamar Mehdi
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Dear Syed Qamar Mehdi, sir, a great job. Simply marvellous. I have been looking for something like this for years. Please keep up the good work and I am looking forward to a second part of this article with those trees included which were left out in part 1. Any additional info on each tree is also welcome. Thanks.
Umar Farooq,
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Excellent article. Awareness is the first and most important step in resolving any problem. I want to congratulate Qamar Mehdi and Dawn in taking this big step. Keep up the good work and hopefully soon, we can start reversing the harmful effects of our actions to our environment.
Global warming already at our door (or already inside) all of us should promote these efforts. With our actions now, our children might be able to enjoy the shades, the smells, the flowers and off course the fruits of our local long lasting trees and clean air as a bonus, inshaAllah.
So lovely to see these trees getting some space in the Dawn page. But where are some of our greats? Neem, Golmohar, Savanjna and the Rain Tree?
Thanks for your interest and appreciation. This is a preamble and the real introduction our own indigenous trees, their joy and sorrow will come to these pages. We try to cover what happened to them in their own beloved motherland by their own fellow countrymen!!!!!
Informative stuff!