Residents and activists in Pakistan’s capital are fighting back as trees are felled for infrastructure and military monuments, eroding the city’s planned green legacy and worsening air quality.
ISLAMABAD: The planned green city of Islamabad is seeing its lush legacy steadily replaced by concrete, prompting local anger and legal challenges from residents.
Built in the 1960s with wide, tree-lined avenues, the capital has lost significant green cover to major infrastructure and military projects. Muhammad Naveed took authorities to court this year over “large-scale tree cutting” for these developments.
He accused them of felling “many mature trees” and leaving land “barren”. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) blames road construction and monuments for the mass razing of trees and natural vegetation.
Between 2001 and 2024, Islamabad lost 14 hectares of tree cover, equal to 20 football pitches, according to Global Forest Watch. For long-time resident Kamran Abbasi, it feels like “they are cutting trees everywhere”.
“It is not the same anymore,” he said. “Trees are life. Thousands are cut to build one bridge.”
The loss of greenery coincides with deteriorating air quality. There were no good air quality days in Islamabad last month, with most classed as “unhealthy” or “very unhealthy”.
“Forests act as powerful natural filters… cleaning the air and water, and reducing the overall impact of pollution,” said Muhammad Ibrahim of WWF-Pakistan.
Officials justify removing some trees to tackle severe seasonal pollen allergies, largely attributed to paper mulberry trees planted during the city’s early development. “The main reason is pollen allergy,” said Capital Development Authority official Abdul Razzaq.
The government plans to remove 29,000 pollen-producing trees, according to a WWF report. Critics, however, argue pollen is an excuse for broader cutting linked to military and infrastructure projects.
In recent months, bulldozers have levelled green belts and wooded areas. According to WWF and unnamed officials, some land is for monuments commemorating a brief 2025 conflict with India, while other plots are for military-linked infrastructure.
“We know that trees are being cut for military-related projects, but there is not much we can do,” a government source said, requesting anonymity. “The people in power, the military, can do whatever they want.”
At one proposed monument site, WWF recorded over six hectares of land clearing last year, with work continuing. It saw “no active plantation… indicating that the clearing is infrastructure driven”.
Naveed’s ongoing court case argues there is “no excuse” for the tree loss. Authorities, in reply, said roads and infrastructure projects were approved under regulations from 1992.
