January 14, 2026
ISLAMABAD – In the past few days, there has been widespread criticism over the cutting of thousands of mature trees in various locations of the federal capital, including the levelling of acres of tree cover around Shakarparian.
TI MNA Riaz Fatyana moved a calling attention notice on the tree-cutting in the federal capital and the public concern it was causing.
Responding to him, Chaudhry said 29,115 trees have been removed, while “40,000 trees of more than 8-10 feet have been planted”.
He added that another 60,000 trees will be planted in the same areas on March 30, when the weather will be more suitable for planting.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has maintained that only paper mulberry trees were removed, as they had been causing pollen allergy. However, social media users had alleged that, besides paper mulberry, indigenous trees were also chopped down, making Shakarparian look like barren land.
Climate Change Minister Musadiq Malik has defended the move, stating that paper mulberry was an invasive and “life-threatening” species.
Speaking in the NA, Chaudhry acknowledged that it was a matter of high importance and had been under discussion in the media for many days.
He explained that there were “three possible reasons” for removing the trees: the presence of paper mulberry species; areas designated as brown zones in Islamabad’s Master Plan but commonly regarded as green until development began, including Embassy Road; and sectors also considered green areas until they were built.
He invited the house and the journalists to assess the green areas based on the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) process, adding that the responsible authorities would be answerable if greenery is reduced or green areas are converted into brown.
“Greenery declined till 2020, but the data from 2023-2025 shows that the percentage of greenery has increased compared to before,” the state minister said.
Chaudhry also called for it “not to be made a fashion to make Islamabad the target of criticism or personally hit the CDA chairman”. He added that the decisions were not made by any one person, but taken under a policy.
On the criticism of infrastructure projects based on the argument that trees had to be cut for them, Chaudhry offered to give an on-ground briefing to parliamentarians and journalists on all such projects carried out under the current government.
“If any tree was removed, mature trees four times that number were planted,” he asserted.
On the reason for removing the paper mulberry species, Chaudhry highlighted that “by-air seeding” was carried out during Islamabad’s initial development to add greenery.
“Over time, it became evident that some of these species were hazardous to health, causing allergies and other issues,” he said.
The state minister recalled the Islamabad High Court’s 2009 order to speed up the eradication of paper mulberry trees to mitigate pollen allergies, and the formation of a committee in 2020 to ensure environmental protection in the capital.
He also cited a Supreme Court order from 2024, its suo-motu notice and the subsequent involvement of two forest experts regarding the removal of paper mulberry trees from the F-9 Park.
As a result, a standard operating procedure (SOP) was determined wherein a survey of the tree species and numbers is first conducted, followed by a public hearing, before proceeding to felling the trees.
Responding to a query by Fatyana, Chaudhry said, “We have not earned money by removing trees”. Instead, he added, money has been spent to remove trees harmful to health, as the roots of the paper mulberry species also need to be taken out.
“I am saying with utmost responsibility that no other species was removed,” he asserted.
PPP, PTI lawmakers raise concerns over ‘large-scale’ tree-cutting
Reacting to Chaudhry’s explanation, PPP’s Sharmila Faruqui said he had “attempted to justify the mass-cutting of trees, but nowhere in the world trees were felled on such a vast scale due to health issues, or pollen allergy from paper mulberry trees”.
She cited Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the United States as examples, stating that “targeted control” was employed there to get rid of saplings.
“There is a kingship. You stood up and said to root out the Green Belt because you suddenly realised that it was causing pollen allergy. It does not happen like this; there is a procedure,” Faruqui said.
She claimed that “huge mature trees” were cut down, adding: “This is no justification that you remove the entire Green Belt and say ‘we have planted four saplings’. Those four saplings would not grow up even in 50 years.”
Responding to her, Chaudhry said, “If you want to solve the issue, then stop point-scoring.”
He declared: “We will be responsible if the green area has decreased due to any mega-project, development, or court order.”
The state minister asserted there was “no kingship” and a proper process was followed.
MQM-P’s Farooq Sattar said he agreed with “most of” what Chaudhry said, but insisted that “many old trees” were also cut down, which gravely saddened the public.
“It was definitely needed for development, but then they should come forward and announce proactively how many trees we are planting in their place,” he said.
Speaking on points of order in the NA before Chaudhry’s explanation, PTI’s Ali Muhammad Khan and PPP’s Shazia Marri also raised the issue of tree-cutting in Islamabad.
Ali said that if the interior ministry, the Islamabad administration or the climate change ministry had cut the trees “after taking the citizens of Islamabad into confidence, there would not have been mistrust in them”.
“The nearly 40,000 trees you have cut are the lungs of Islamabad,” the PTI lawmaker added. He further urged the relevant authorities to plant 100 saplings in the spring for each tree cut down.
Ali questioned why “50 to 60-year-old trees” were also removed if only paper mulberry trees were being replaced.
Marri also raised her party’s concerns over the “large-scale tree-cutting in Islamabad”. “Whether it is Shakarparian, F-9, or other areas, reports are emerging that thousands of trees are being cut,” she said.
The PPP lawmaker added, “Even if you are justifying it that a specific species harmful to the environment is being cut, but why are they running away from accountability?”
Marri demanded the “actual truth” and the figures on the tree plantation being carried out to make up for it. She recommended that the matter be referred to the NA’s Standing Committee for Climate Change for further debate.
Unanimous resolution urges govt to probe documented passengers’ offloading
Separately, the NA unanimously passed a resolution demanding that the government probe the offloading of documented passengers at various airports across the country.
Over the past few months, numerous incidents have been reported of travellers being offloaded from flights at various airports, despite possessing valid travel documents.
PPP MNA Agha Rafiullah moved a resolution before the NA today, stating that the “government should take immediate steps to investigate the off-loading of documented passengers at various airports”.
The resolution also urged the government to recommend “administrative reforms to ensure transparency, accountability and the protection of passenger rights, while improving communication so that all off-loading decisions are lawful and properly documented”.
NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq then moved the resolution for voting, which received no opposition and was subsequently passed unanimously.
Speaking later on a point of order, PPP’s Marri termed the offloading of travellers a “very important” issue. “People going abroad for work or education as a result of a good offer, especially with all their complete documents, now have so much fear because of these actions.”
She noted the “demeanour adopted with them despite them having complete documents”, urging the government to take action on the matter.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had linked the offloading incidents to a crackdown on migrant smuggling by denying travel to those with incomplete documents.
In mid-December, growing public fury prompted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to finally take notice of the issue and form a “special committee” to look into the matter.
Earlier this month, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi issued orders to the FIA for the strict screening of travel documents at airports.
In the first week of December, Naqvi had said that 50–70 passengers were being offloaded daily from flights to protect the country’s passport reputation, which, at an average of 60 per day, comes to fewer than 22,000 in a year.
However, official figures showed that the actual number of offloaded passengers in 2025 was three times higher, at 66,000.
According to FIA Director General Riffat Mukhtar Raja, 51,000 of the 66,000 passengers offloaded this year were stopped by the FIA for insufficient or unverified documentation.