ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday restrained the authorities from cutting any more trees in the federal capital and issued notices to CDA, Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) and Ministry of Climate Change for February 2, 2026.
The order was passed by Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro while hearing a petition filed by the Center for Justice and Rights. Advocate Mudassar Latif Abbasi appeared on behalf of the petitioner organisation, while the Assistant Advocate General (AAG) represented the government.
During the hearing, the petitioner contended that around 30,000 trees had been cut in various parts of Islamabad in recent days without any lawful justification or adherence to the prescribed procedure. He argued that no public hearing was conducted as required under the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997.
The petitioner also questioned the necessity of constructing a new stadium and convention centre in Islamabad at huge cost, stating that similar facilities already existed in the twin cities and were adequately meeting public needs. He submitted that these projects were in blatant violation of the Islamabad Master Plan and recommendations of Islamabad Environmental Commission, which was constituted on the orders of IHC in 2015. According to the petitioner, the actions of CDA were leading to the loss of Islamabad’s green character, increased pollution and related health issues.
In response, the AAG maintained that the trees that had been cut were paper mulberry trees, which are a major source of pollen allergy. However, the petitioner rejected this claim, arguing that in areas such as H-8, blanket removal of trees was carried out without considering their type, nature or age.
The AAG further stated that new plants were being planted to replace the felled trees. At this, Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro observed that saplings could not compensate for fully grown and mature trees. He remarked that in countries such as England, old trees were carefully preserved even during development projects, noting that cities like London had trees that were hundreds of years old.
After hearing the arguments, the court ordered the CDA not to cut any more trees for any project until further orders and issued notices to the relevant authorities for the next hearing.
IHC’s Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro’s order came during a plea filed by a citizen Muhammad Naveed Ahmed on the said matter.
