POA President Syed Arif Hasan was joined at Pakistan Olympic House by three successful athletes to plant trees.

In Pakistan, Independence Day is a national holiday observed annually on August 14.

Muhammad Inam Butt, who won a wrestling gold medal at the Association of National Olympic Committees World Beach Games last year and is a two-time Commonwealth Games champion, took part in the ceremony.

So too did kabaddi world champion Shafiq Chishti and Talha Talib, a weightlifting bronze medallist in the men's 62-kilogram category at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The new trees were flanked by "Clean Green Pakistan" banners.

The POA said it used the occasion to promote sustainability as that is an area of focus for both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Pakistan's Prime Minister, ex-cricketer Imran Khan.

Hasan "urged the Olympic Family to make workable ideas permanent feature of their promotional plans to create a conducive, healthy and pollution-free environment not only for the athletes but to further the campaign to attain a pollution free Pakistan", the POA said.

"This will definitely enable us to contribute for the crucial cause of environmental sustainability to build and preserve a green future for Pakistan."

Sustainability is one of three pillars to the IOC's Agenda 2020 reforms.

The IOC also co-developed the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework, which numerous governing bodies have since signed up to.