Sherry Rehman Urges Formation of Expert Committees to Oversee Tree Cutting & Plantation
Islamabad— Chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman chaired a detailed meeting on the extensive tree cutting and felling reported across Islamabad, stressing the urgent need for expert committees, transparency, public consultation, and adherence to environmental protocols.
Senator Rehman noted that “Islamabad’s green spaces are essential to conserve. Our forest cover is the lowest in the region—only 5%.”
Senator Rehman urged the Ministry of Climate Change & Environmental Coordination (MoCC&EC) to establish expert committees—including wildlife specialists, ecologists, environmentalists, and civil society representatives—on parks and tree management.
“Tree plantation and tree removal are highly technical processes. We need proper committees, sub-committees, experts on board, and credible public hearings,” she said.
Minister of State for National Health Services Dr Malik Mukhtar presented some startling statistics of Islamabad’s record-breaking pollen load of 82,000 grains per cubic meter in 2022, far above the dangerous threshold of 1,500, with paper mulberry contributing 94% of the total load. He added that the United States and Australia have officially recognised paper mulberry as a noxious weed and eradicated it in regions such as Florida and Queensland, which influenced Pakistan’s approach to mitigation. According to the Minister, Islamabad’s pollen allergy burden has already shown signs of decreasing following control measures. He further clarified that while an exaggerated figure of 80,000 trees had circulated in the media, only 29,115 paper mulberry trees were actually removed, primarily from F-9 Park and Shakarparian, under a three-step eradication protocol followed by the health authorities. For every mulberry tree removed, he said, three indigenous and non-allergenic species were planted, in accordance with the recommended environmental safeguards.
Responding to criticism, the Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Muhammad Ali Randhawa stated that the authority manages multiple development and environmental projects across Islamabad, and all plantation records can be formally verified. He reiterated that under the CDA Development Policy, the authority is required to plant three new trees for every one tree removed, a standard that has been consistently followed. Providing figures, he noted that at Jinnah Square, 3,500 existing trees were recorded while 6,300 new saplings were planted, and around the Shaheen Chowk underpass, 7,500 new trees were added. He further informed the committee that CDA’s Gardeniya Hub nursery has raised a stock of 1.2 million plants, ensuring a steady supply for ongoing and future plantation drives.
The Chairman also briefed the committee on enforcement actions, confirming that 13 FIRs have been registered against individuals involved in fire-related incidents damaging green areas. On the issue of paper mulberry, the Chairman stated that the CDA consulted independent doctors and specialists from NIH and PIMS, and that the Supreme Court had granted approval for the removal of the species due to its documented health impacts. He added that in F-9 Park alone, 12,800 paper mulberry trees were removed and replaced with 40,000 environmentally friendly indigenous species. He noted that a public hearing was also held in F-9 Park to ensure public input and transparency in the decision-making process.
Senator Rehman said the public’s concerns must be removed through credible, transparent processes.
“It is the capital city of Pakistan; its green spaces are essential to conserve and preserve. We must add to Islamabad’s natural green cover, not diminish it,” she said.
She concluded by urging MoCC&EC and CDA to establish a proper consultation and coordination matrix, and expert-led committee structure, ensuring that environmental protection remains central to development planning.
The meeting was attended by Senators Syed Waqar Mehdi, Khalida Ateeb, Bushra Anjum Butt, and Sarmad Ali. Officials from MoCC&EC, Chairman CDA Randhawa, Minister of State for National Health Services Dr Malik Mukhtar and Minister of State for Interior, Talal Chaudhary, also participated in the meeting.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
