- IHC’s Justice Soomro issues notice to CDA, Pepa.
- Court seeks detailed report from all parties by Feb 2.
- CDA cuts nearly 30,000 paper mulberry trees in city.
ISLAMABAD: The ongoing tree-cutting drive by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has been put on hold by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
The court on Thursday issued notices to the CDA, Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pepa) and the Ministry of Climate Change, seeking a clause-wise response and detailed report from all parties on the petition by February 2.
IHC’s Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro’s order came during a plea filed by a citizen Muhammad Naveed Ahmed on the said matter.
The issue of CDA’s tree-cutting drive in the federal capital has been the talk of the town in recent days and has become a point of contention between the ruling coalition, where the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) have expressed concern about the cutting of trees.
The Islamabad district administration, last week, asserted that the tree-cutting campaign was targeted at paper mulberry trees, saying they were causing health issues in the federal capital.
The CDA, in over a year, has also removed nearly 30,000 paper mulberry trees, including 8,700 allergy-causing trees in the city to mitigate the intensity of pollen allergy.
DDG Environment Dr Samina Pasha has said that non-allergenic trees being planted include Amaltas, Jacaranda, Arjun and other species.
Addressing the matter, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry had earlier informed the National Assembly that that only the allergy-causing paper mulberry trees had been removed and that 60,000 trees would be planted by the end of March, in addition to more than 40,000 mature trees that have already been planted.
Separately, Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik has also said that the CDA will plant three trees for every one cut and that his ministry will launch additional plantation drives across Islamabad.
Pollen issue
The federal government, as reported by The News, initiated a comprehensive campaign in last quarter of 2024 to address the long-standing issue of seasonal pollen allergies within the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
This effort, focusing on the systematic management of allergenic trees, was launched in response to a high-level directive from the prime minister, who designated the pollen issue a priority agenda.
A clear roadmap for action was established following a high-level meeting on November 27, 2024, chaired by Dr Mukhtar Ahmad Malik, Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination.
Under this directive, the CDA was tasked with executing a detailed plan for the removal of allergenic species, specifically the paper mulberry tree, and providing regular progress reports to ensure the mitigation of this severe health challenge.
The Health Ministry in collaboration with the CDA, employed a rigorous scientific three-step process to ensure the complete eradication of the allergenic species. This methodology involved cutting the trees, uprooting the entire root system, and refilling the soil to prevent any future regrowth.
This systematic approach resulted in the removal of 29,115 allergenic paper mulberry trees across the Capital. It is to be noted that the eradication protocol was applied exclusively to the invasive Broussonetia papyrifera (paper mulberry).
No indigenous or non-allergenic tree species were disturbed during this campaign, and the subsequent restoration efforts focus solely on the replacement of the uprooted paper mulberry units in designated areas.
The eradication drive was implemented across major sectors and green areas of the Capital. Large-scale removal was carried out in F-9 Park (12,800 trees) and Shakarparian (8,700 trees). In urban sectors, 2,965 paper mulberry trees were cleared from G-10, G-11, F-10, F-11, D-12, and along Srinagar Highway, while additional removals included 1,405 trees in G-8, 839 in G-9, 490 in F-8, 1,142 in H-8, and 534 in H-9.
This targeted operation ensured effective coverage of both high-density urban areas and major recreational zones.
Following the successful removal phase, the campaign has now transitioned into an ambitious and sustainable green restoration strategy.
To maintain and enhance the city’s environment, the government has mandated that for every allergenic tree removed, three new environment-friendly, indigenous trees must be planted, the CDA official said.
In line with this policy, 40,000 indigenous and environment-friendly large trees have already been planted on sites cleared for paper mulberry. This replantation effort includes a diverse mix of fruit-bearing and pine species to ensure a healthier ecosystem.
In Shakarparian alone, 81 acres of land across three sites have been levelled and prepared, with pit-digging currently underway for the upcoming planting season.
The entire project, from eradication to final replantation, will be concluded by the end of April 2026. Statistical data from the Allergy Centre Islamabad confirms that this intervention has led to a substantial improvement in the masses’ health.
— With additional input from APP
