IHC expresses displeasure over cutting of trees in Islamabad in violation of previous orders

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday expressed strong displeasure over the cutting of trees in the federal capital despite previous orders, warning the authorities of contempt proceedings in case of further violations.

IHC’s Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, while hearing multiple petitions against tree cutting in various sectors, observed that the court’s injunction orders issued on January 15 and April 8 had been ignored.

Appearing on behalf of the petitioners, advocates Mudassar Latif Abbasi and Umair Asad argued that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) were continuing to cut trees without lawful justification.

During the proceedings, Advocate Abbasi informed the court that more than 30,000 trees had been cut across Islamabad under the pretext of removing paper mulberry trees, without obtaining mandatory approval from the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA).

He further pointed out that the CDA, in its para-wise comments, had failed to clarify whether any expert assessment was conducted prior to cutting down of the trees. He added that even Pak-EPA had admitted that prior permission, which is a legal requirement, was not obtained.

Expressing surprise, Justice Soomro questioned the CDA’s legal team about the absence of expert opinion or any scientific mechanism to identify the trees being removed.

“It is regrettable that such a beautiful city has been stripped of trees without engaging any experts,” he remarked.

The judge also noted that no satellite survey or credible methodology had been adopted to verify whether the felled trees were indeed paper mulberry.

Seeking time, the CDA counsel requested the court to allow an opportunity to submit a comprehensive response and assist the bench on the matter.

However, Justice Soomro issued a stern warning, stating that the court had refrained from initiating contempt proceedings over the past year but would not hesitate to act if even a single tree was cut in violation of its orders.

“Only one beautiful city is left in Pakistan — let it remain so. Show some mercy to its residents,” the judge observed.

The hearing was adjourned till next Thursday, with a clear directive that no further cutting of trees should take place until a final decision was made.

At the start of the year, it emerged that large-scale tree removal took place in at least three locations in Islamabad, including acres of tree cover around Shakarparian, drawing criticism alleging large-scale environmental damage. However, authorities have maintained that only paper mulberry trees were cut down as they were a major cause of allergies.

Subsequently, environmental conservation organisation WWF-Pakistan, in a statement, had disputed the authorities’ stance that paper mulberry trees were removed due to a rise in pollen allergies, stating that the action was also linked to infrastructure development.