Adnan Malik addresses the problem of littering in Pakistan

KARACHI: Not long ago, Adnan Malik, amongst others, endorsed the Polished Man campaign in Pakistan against child abuse. A few days later, the Pakistani actor decided to speak against another important issue in our country: littering. Taking to his Instagram, Adnan Malik decided to give his followers a reality check. A reality which most are aware of, yet continue to ignore.

Titled ‘Instagram vs. Reality’, Malik’s post starts off with a breathtaking picture of the Miranjani peak with Malik in the foreground. However, once viewers swipe right, they come across pictures of the littered ground.

“It’s crazy to me that we journey to these incredibly scenic places to be photographed in front of raw, natural beauty, while simultaneously littering it so heartlessly. Are we that vain as a species that while we obsess over the perfect picture, we can’t carry our garbage back and dispose of it properly in a trash bin? To just dump our plastic refuse right there & ruin the experience for others? Don’t we think about the animals & birds that will suffer because of this inorganic, man-made creation that may poison or kill them? Or do we assume that someone will come & clean it up after us? Or that it will naturally decompose (which p.s takes 1,000 years)” wondered Malik.

Speaking about his love for mother nature and traveling, Malik shared two observations while traveling within Pakistan. “First, that we are blessed with exceptional landscape & wilderness at par with the best in the world,” he wrote, “& secondly, that our people (especially our youth) are not respectful of this bc no matter where I go in Pakistan there are plastic wrappers, bottles & bags littered on paths, dumped in bushes or abandoned at picnic sites.”

The travel enthusiast then went on to narrate the conversation between him and the local at Miranjani peak who expressed sorrow over the fact that much of the trash is left behind by young students. Consequently, Adnan Malik raised a question for his Instagram followers, “Over 50 percent of my followers are between the ages of 13-24. How can it be that the future of my country, most of you reading this, the people who will inherit this gorgeous land, be so lazy, so heartless, so selfish as to dump trash in nature?”

Encouraging his followers to make more sustainable choices and look after their environment, Malik advised Pakistanis to carry reusable bags and clean up after themselves and others.