Says approval required before tree cutting as case on Islamabad’s green cover continues
Residents held peaceful rally to protest cutting of trees in Karachi. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change on Wednesday told the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that paper mulberry trees were classified as a non-native species and their felling was deemed permissible, according to a written reply submitted in an ongoing case concerning tree cutting in the federal capital.
In its response, the ministry said a review found that the tree-cutting operation was limited to paper mulberry trees. Other species, including kachnar, sumbal, pine and sukh chain, were marked and preserved.
The ministry stated that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) carried out plantation at alternative sites after the trees were removed.
However, it added that prior approval is mandatory for any tree-cutting activity. The current operation was conducted without consultation, the ministry noted.
The Islamabad Wildlife Management Board conducted a field inspection of the Shakarparian area after public complaints. The ministry said the CDA is bound to obtain approval from the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) before undertaking such activity, and consultation with the Wildlife Management Board is also required.
Read: Islamabad picks concrete over trees, angering residents
Upon learning of the tree-cutting, the ministry wrote to the interior secretary to express its concerns. It further informed the court that Pak-EPA had also written to the CDA’s member environment, emphasising the need for joint planning and consultation.
The case against tree-cutting in the federal capital remains under hearing before the IHC.
Islamabad was once known for its lush greenery, but the felling of trees across the city for infrastructure has prompted local anger and lawsuits.
Built in the 1960s, Islamabad was planned as a green city, with wide avenues, parks and tree-lined sectors. Many residents fear that vision is steadily being eroded, with concrete replacing green spaces.
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) blamed major infrastructure development, including road construction and monuments, for the mass razing of trees and natural vegetation in Islamabad.
Between 2001 and 2024, the capital lost 14 hectares of tree cover, equal to 20 football pitches, according to Global Forest Watch, though the figure does not account for tree cover gains during the same period.
For Kamran Abbasi, a local trader and resident since the 1980s, it feels like “they are cutting trees everywhere”.
“It is not the same anymore,” he told AFP. “Trees are life. Thousands are cut to build one bridge.”
Meanwhile, air quality in Islamabad continues to deteriorate.
Pollution is a longstanding problem, but plants can help by filtering dirty air, absorbing harmful gases and cooling cities.
