ISLAMABAD – The National Assembly on Wednesday was informed that 29,115 trees had been removed in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), but authorities have pledged to plant even more in the coming months.
Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry addressed lawmakers following concerns raised over the felling of thousands of mature trees across the federal capital, including the extensive tree cover around Shakarparian.
PTI MNA Riaz Fatyana had submitted a calling attention notice highlighting public discontent regarding the tree-cutting. Responding in the House, Chaudhry confirmed the number of trees removed and said that 40,000 trees, each over eight to ten feet tall, have already been planted. He added that another 60,000 trees will be planted on March 30, when weather conditions are more favourable.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has maintained that only paper mulberry trees were cut, citing their role in causing pollen allergies. However, social media users alleged that indigenous trees were also felled, leaving areas like Shakarparian looking barren. Climate Change Minister Musadiq Malik defended the initiative, describing paper mulberry as an invasive species posing health risks.
Chaudhry emphasised that the matter was of high importance and had been under media scrutiny for days. He cited three reasons for the tree removal: the presence of paper mulberry species, areas classified as brown zones in Islamabad’s Master Plan but commonly considered green—including Embassy Road—and sectors previously thought to be green until development began.
The state minister invited parliamentarians and journalists to evaluate the city’s greenery using the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) process, stressing that authorities would be held accountable if green areas were reduced or converted into brown zones. He also noted that while greenery declined until 2020, data from 2023-2025 shows an increase in green cover compared to earlier years.
Chaudhry urged that criticism of the matter should not be personalised or used to target CDA officials, stressing that the decisions were policy-driven rather than the result of individual discretion. He offered to provide on-site briefings regarding infrastructure projects that required tree removal, assuring lawmakers that “for every tree removed, mature trees four times that number were planted.”
On the removal of paper mulberry, Chaudhry said the species had been introduced during Islamabad’s early development to increase greenery, but over time proved hazardous, causing allergies and other health problems. He recalled a 2009 Islamabad High Court order directing the removal of paper mulberry trees, a 2020 committee formed to protect the capital’s environment, and a 2024 Supreme Court suo-motu notice concerning paper mulberry trees in F-9 Park.
A standard operating procedure has been put in place to ensure proper oversight: trees are surveyed, public hearings are conducted, and only then are trees removed. Responding to Fatyana, Chaudhry clarified that no revenue was earned from cutting the trees, adding that funds were spent to remove hazardous trees and their roots. “I assure this House that no other species was removed,” he said.
