ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on Friday voiced serious concern over the large-scale felling of trees in the Islamabad Capital Territory and the lack of coordination among relevant authorities.
The Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, chaired by MNA Munaza Hassan, held the meeting at the Parliament House to examine tree-cutting activities across various sectors of the capital, including the removal of paper mulberry and other species. Committee members highlighted the absence of key officials, including the CDA chairman and climate change ministers, noting that non-attendance undermined parliamentary oversight.
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While the Capital Development Authority (CDA) claimed Islamabad’s overall green cover had increased through compensatory plantation and transplantation measures, the committee emphasised that post-facto assurances could not replace prior planning, statutory compliance, and environmental assessment, especially in protected areas such as Margalla Hills National Park.
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Members questioned the lack of environmental impact studies, the cutting of trees in designated brown areas without ecological analysis, and weak institutional coordination between CDA, the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA), and other regulators. They also noted the continued non-functional status of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) and the Pakistan Climate Change Authority, stressing that gaps in rules and systems had impaired environmental governance.
The committee directed the CDA to submit the Islamabad Master Plan with clear green and brown area demarcations supported by satellite imagery, along with site-wise data on tree removal and reforestation. It also required expert studies justifying the removal of paper mulberry trees and a verification report from the IWMB regarding cutting in sensitive and protected zones. Members emphasised the need for improved compliance with environmental laws and strengthened inter-agency coordination.
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The meeting was attended by MNAs Rana Ansar, Shaista Pervaiz, Syeda Shehla Raza, Dr Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Tamkeen Niazi, Shahida Rahmani, Bilal Farooq Tarar, Tahira Aurangzeb, and senior officials from the Ministry of Climate Change, CDA, and Pak-EPA.