WWF-Pakistan on Tuesday disputed the Islamabad authorities’ stance that paper mulberry trees were removed in the capital due to allergies, stating that the action was also linked to infrastructure development.
Recently, large-scale tree removal took place in at least three locations in the federal capital, including acres of tree cover around Shakarparian. Islamabad’s Capital Development Authority (CDA) has maintained that only paper mulberry trees were removed as they had been causing pollen allergies, and earlier on Tuesday Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry assured lawmakers that more trees would be planted in the coming months.
“WWF-Pakistan’s field assessments indicate that vegetation loss in the capital is not limited to Paper Mulberry management alone, but is also linked to infrastructure development in multiple locations,” the environmental body said on social media.
“Beyond pollen and allergies, Islamabad’s recent tree removal reflects broader challenges in urban planning,” it added.
Social media users and even some lawmakers have alleged that, besides paper mulberry, old indigenous trees were also chopped down.
Responding to those queries in the National Assembly on Tuesday, Chaudhry explained 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 as green areas until they were built.
“I am saying with utmost responsibility that no other species was removed,” he asserted, about the claims of other species besides the paper mulberry being cut.
In its Facebook post, WWF-Pakistan noted: “Urban trees play a critical role in soil stability, climate regulation, and biodiversity support.
“Any tree removal must follow evidence-based planning, legal compliance, and clear restoration commitments to ensure long-term ecological balance,” it demanded.
The environmental organisation also shared a report that consolidated findings from its “field inspections on tree-cutting and land-clearing activities in Islamabad with key policy, health, and ecological considerations related to the ongoing removal of paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) and cutting of trees for [sic] construction of infrastructure”.
“Between December 2025 and January 2026, extensive tree cutting and land clearing activities were widely reported through social and formal media across multiple locations in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), including Shakarparian, Lok Virsa, the National Museum precinct, the Islamabad Expressway (H-8), and the Margalla Enclave Link Road near the National Institutes of Health (NIH),” WWF-Pakistan stated.
A photo of a piece of land selectively cleared opposite the National Museum in Shakarparian.. — Photo courtesy WWF-Pakistan
It added that “several” of these activities were associated with “major infrastructure development works, including road construction and monument-related projects, resulting in large-scale clearance of trees and natural vegetation”.
Subsequently, WWF-Pakistan carried out field verification to “assess the nature, scale, and underlying drivers of these activities, and to distinguish between vegetation removal linked to infrastructure development and that undertaken for public-health purposes”.
The report noted that paper mulberry has been identified by environmental and medical experts as a “major contributor to seasonal pollen allergies in Islamabad, causing allergic rhinitis, asthma, and related respiratory issues”.
“Under directives from the Prime Minister’s Office and public health authorities, CDA launched a structured programme to systematically remove this species from parks, greenbelts and public spaces,” it recalled.
WWF-Pakistan found: “Overall, field evidence and available documentation indicate that while a significant portion of tree removal across Islamabad is associated with the paper mulberry eradication programme driven by public-health considerations, substantial vegetation loss has also resulted from infrastructure development, particularly along the H-8 Islamabad Expressway (proposed monument site) and the Margalla Enclave Link Road.
“At the H-8 site alone, infrastructure-related land clearing has resulted in an estimated net loss of approximately five hectares of urban tree and vegetation cover.”
While noting that reforestation and compensatory plantation efforts were reportedly underway at several locations, the report said their “visibility, consistency, and ecological design, especially at infrastructure sites, remain unclear”.
“The long-term ecological success of these interventions will therefore depend on transparent decision-making, clear and site-specific restoration planning, prioritisation of native species, and independent monitoring to ensure that Islamabad’s green character and ecological integrity are effectively safeguarded,” it concluded.
As per the report, “official sources” indicated that more than 29,000 paper mulberry trees have been removed city-wide, including from Shakarparian, Fatima Jinnah Park (F-9), and greenbelts along Park Road and the H-8 Expressway.
Paper mulberry a ‘highly invasive species’
In a separate research paper dated Monday, WWF-Pakistan Forest Director Muhammad Ibrahim Khan proposed a “science-based strategy for gradual removal and replacement of paper mulberry” in ICT.
Citing various previous research, the official noted that paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) was a “non-native, highly invasive species in Islamabad and Rawalpindi that has aggressively colonised natural vegetation pockets, from the Margalla foothills and associated nullahs to urban and peri-urban sectors”.
An image of felled trees in Islamabad. — Photo courtesy WWF-Pakistan
He not only acknowledged the species’ “well-documented role” in pollen allergies, but also pointed out that it “suppresses native tree regeneration, ground flora and associated wildlife habitats through rapid growth, dense canopy formation, and allelopathic effects”.
The paper further said that paper mulberry’s complete eradication was “ecologically impractical and technically unrealistic” due to its regeneration abilities.
Expressing ecological concerns, the paper stated: “Sudden, large-scale removal, especially uprooting, risks soil disturbance, erosion, loss of understorey vegetation, and displacement of urban wildlife.
“Indiscriminate felling may also unintentionally remove native species and mixed natural growth, further degrading ecological integrity and ecosystem services.”
The WWF-Pakistan official called for all activities to be guided by “site-specific ecological assessments and legally compliant Environmental Impact Assessments where applicable”.
“Public disclosure of species removed, species planted, and survival outcomes is essential to maintain transparency and public trust,” it added.
