Who cut Islamabad's trees - and why?
Shakarparian Road is one of those stretches in the capital that still reminds one of old Islamabad - serene and green. You drive through it without noticing the trees because they have always been there, lining the road with a quiet assurance.
Their shade breaks the glare of the sun, their presence softens the noise of traffic. For years, the road has looked settled, complete.
At one point, however, the green abruptly gives way to open land. The trees do not thin out, they simply stop. In their place is a cleared stretch of soil, freshly turned in parts, with a handful of labourers digging shallow pits along the roadside. A signboard planted firmly in the ground announces a promise: "Greener and Healthier Islamabad - Indigenous Tree Plantation," carried out by the Capital Development Authority's Environment Wing. Pine saplings lie nearby, waiting to be planted.
Yet it is the sudden disappearance of mature trees that has raised eyebrows. The sight of new plantation offers little comfort to residents and regular commuters who remember what stood here before. Questions linger. Why were mature trees removed in the first place, what necessitated their clearance, and whether replacing decades-old growth with saplings can truly be called environmental protection.
However, the abrupt and large-scale nature of the cutting has sparked public outrage, raising questions about whether the city's natural heritage is being sacrificed in the name of public health.
After images of the recent deforestation went viral, Islamabad's residents took to X to express their anger and question the authorities about their actual plan.
In 2025, the order was implemented again to rid the city of this invasive, non-indigenous, and life-threatening species.
Environmental groups, however, present a different viewpoint, arguing that the reality is more complex than official statements suggest. A WWF-Pakistan report sharply criticises recent tree removal and land clearing in Islamabad, revealing that while the government's paper mulberry eradication drive is a major factor, extensive vegetation loss also stems from unchecked infrastructure development.
Field inspections conducted from December 2025 to January 2026 highlighted massive clearing along the H-8 Islamabad Expressway, the Margalla Enclave Link Road, and Shakarparian, leaving large swathes of exposed soil and incomplete restoration. The report points to gaps in transparency, site-specific planning, and monitoring, raising doubts about the true intent behind the removals.
Experts have also weighed in, emphasising that the city's ecological health depends on both the method and intent behind such drives. Dr Zainab Naeem, a climate policy advocate and PhD in environmental sciences, said the issue is not the removal of paper mulberry itself but the mismanaged way it was carried out. She noted that the court-mandated phased approach, prior afforestation, and ecological assessments were ignored, with native species such as shisham also being cut, as highlighted in the WWF-Pakistan report.
She termed the move climate misgovernance, warning that Islamabad is already experiencing an urban heat island effect due to concretisation and the loss of green buffers. Large-scale deforestation, she said, will further worsen rising temperatures, air quality, flooding, and extreme weather.
Dr Hassan Abbas, a water resources expert, echoed these concerns, warning that large-scale tree cutting would severely impact water resources and climate. Even if aimed at reducing allergies, he stressed, such actions must follow proper mechanisms.
Trees, he said, are essential for groundwater recharge, temperature regulation, and ecological balance, while replacing them with concrete worsens heat, disrupts rainfall, and accelerates environmental degradation.
Despite these concerns, CDA maintains its stance. The authority has rebuffed criticism, stating that the tree-cutting activity is not arbitrary and is being carried out strictly on Supreme Court directions. According to DG Environment Irfan Khan Niazi, the apex court consulted experts and issued clear guidelines allowing only the removal of paper mulberry trees, explicitly directing that no other species be cut.
While contractors were hired for the process, CDA said its staff supervised every step, from cutting to loading the trees onto trucks, and maintained proper records.
Speaking exclusively to The Express Tribune, he said that in the first phase approximately 12,000 paper mulberry trees were removed from F-9 Park, while 8,700 were cut in Shakarparian. Additional sites, including H-8, were also part of the operation. In total, 29,115 paper mulberry trees have been removed so far.