ISLAMABAD: Amid prevailing concerns over a tree-cutting drive in the federal capital, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Tuesday told the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that paper mulberry trees in Islamabad were being chopped down on the directives of Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
Submitting its response in a case related to the cutting of trees in Islamabad, the CDA said that changes to the master plan fall under the authority of the federal government and that the plan has been amended several times with official approval.
“Under the planning parameters, the CDA is bound to ensure an 8% green area,” the authority said, adding that greenery in the federal capital exceeds the required standard.
The CDA’s tree-cutting drive in the capital has sparked widespread debate in recent days and has also become a point of contention within the ruling coalition, as several political parties and civil society groups have expressed concern over the removal of trees. The Islamabad district administration had, in January, said the campaign was specifically targeting paper mulberry trees, maintaining that the species was responsible for serious health problems in the city.
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.
Last month, the IHC suspended the CDA’s tree-cutting drive and sought a clause-wise reply and a detailed report from all parties.
Meanwhile, in its response to the IHC, CDA maintained that paper mulberry trees were removed because they cause pollen allergies. “Scientific research has established that paper mulberry triggers asthma and other allergic reactions,” the authority said.
“Harmful paper mulberry trees have been cut and environmentally friendly trees have been planted,” the CDA said, while stressing that the paper mulberry species does not help prevent pollution and instead contributes to the deterioration of air quality index (AQI).
Recalling that the IHC in 2022 had ordered the formation of an environment committee comprising relevant stakeholders, the CDA said the committee in 2023 had decided to cut down paper mulberry trees and replace them with environment-friendly species. “The paper mulberry trees were removed in line with the recommendations of Supreme Court-appointed experts,” the authority said in its reply.
The CDA further said the PMO had taken notice of a column written by journalist Saleem Safi in 2024 and had directed the Ministry of Health and CDA to take preventive measures to address the pollen issue. Highlighting that a large stretch along the Islamabad Highway is covered with paper mulberry trees, the CDA said the federal government has approved the construction of a monument commemorating “Marka-e-Haq” — the country’s May 2025 armed conflict with India — in Islamabad’s DHA Phase-VIII.
It added that the land has been transferred to the Ministry of Planning and Development and that plants located there were shifted to other areas, including Shakarparian.
