ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday issued a notice to the Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) in a contempt petition alleging violation of court orders restraining tree cutting in the federal capital.
The notice was issued by Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas during the hearing of a contempt petition filed in Muhammad Naveed Ahmad vs Capital Development Authority, etc., arising out of Writ Petition No153/2026.
The original petition, filed on January 15, 2026, challenged large-scale tree cutting in Islamabad, including in environmentally sensitive areas such as Shakarparian. In earlier proceedings, the court had directed the CDA to refrain from cutting trees until further orders.
During Monday’s hearing, counsel for the petitioner, Mudassar Latif Abbasi informed the court that the CDA had allegedly violated the restraining order. He submitted that despite the stay, the authority had continued activities involving the uprooting and transplantation of trees as part of the expansion of Ataturk Avenue from D-Chowk to Ayub Chowk.
The petitioner’s counsel referred to recent media reports indicating that work on the project had already begun and that multiple trees falling within the road alignment had been transplanted. He argued that such transplantation effectively results in the destruction of mature trees and therefore constitutes a breach of the court’s order.
Taking cognizance of the allegations, the court issued a notice to the CDA chairman, directing him to submit a response. The petition contends that the authority’s actions amount to wilful disobedience of a lawful court order and raise concerns regarding environmental protection and adherence to the rule of law. It further warns that continued activity could cause irreversible environmental damage and undermine judicial authority. The hearing was adjourned until a date to be fixed by the court.
