ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has extended its ban on tree-cutting by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in the federal capital until February 13.
A single bench of Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro on Monday heard the petition filed by Muhammad Naveed Ahmad of the Centre for Justice and Rights, challenging the legality of recent deforestation carried out by the CDA in different parts of the city.
During the hearing, CDA lawyer Aamir Latif Gul informed the court that the trees are being cut to build a monument of the Ma’araka-e-Haq.
Justice Soomro raised the question over the justification and highlighted the importance of preserving greenery. He remarked that even in London, trees over 500 years old are still standing.
The judge added that the court could not hear the case in detail due to time constraints and asked how many similar cases were pending. The lawyer replied that three cases related to tree cutting were currently under review.
The judge directed that all such cases would be taken up on the next date and extended the injunction orders against tree cutting. After issuing the aforementioned directions, the IHC bench deferred hearing of the case until February 13.
Mohammad Naveed invoked Article 199 of the Constitution and alleged that thousands of mature trees were cut during late 2025 and early 2026, causing “grave and irreversible environmental harm”. He stated approximately 29,000 paper mulberry trees were removed across Islamabad during 2025, including around 8,700 trees in Shakarparian alone, ostensibly to address pollen-related concerns.
He added that the scale and manner of cutting had rendered large portions of Shakarparian barren, resulting in loss of biodiversity, increased urban heat, deterioration of air quality and a violation of citizens’ fundamental right to a clean and healthy environment under law.
The petitioner’s counsel contended eyewitness accounts and public outcry suggested that native and non-allergenic trees were also cut indiscriminately. He also argued that similar cutting was carried out in H-8, H-9, F-9 Park, Chak Shahzad, and near Zero Point, some of it linked to infrastructure projects such as park up-gradation, road construction and a bus depot.
The counsel raised objections to the construction of a monument in Sector H-8 along the Islamabad Expressway, alleging that hundreds of decades-old native trees were cut for the project, without any justification linked to pollen concerns.
He questioned that why the monument was not placed in an existing park or public space and pointed to a lack of transparency in site selection and approvals.
The petition stated that actions of the authorities contravened the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997, the Islamabad Wildlife Ordinance, 1979, and the Master Plan of Islamabad, which designated Shakarparian as a protected green area.
It maintained that no public hearing was conducted, as required under environmental law, and that the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency failed to take timely action.
It also criticized the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, saying that instead of intervening, the minister publicly justified the cutting, claiming that it was carried out in line with the court orders.
The petitioner also raised concerns over announced plans for a new cricket stadium and convention centre in Islamabad, which the petitioner argued would further undermine the city’s green character, especially when existing facilities such as Rawalpindi Stadium and the Islamabad Convention Centre already exist.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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