IHC seeks CDA report on plea alleging breach of tree-felling restraining order

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Monday called for a report from the Capital Development Authority chairman and other respondents on a contempt petition alleging that the civic body violated a court order restraining tree felling in the federal capital.

Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas heard the petition filed by Muhammad Naveed Ahmed, sought a detailed report from the CDA and adjourned the matter indefinitely.

During the hearing, counsel for the petitioner argued that the matter should technically have been placed before Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, who had earlier been hearing the main case. Justice Minhas, however, observed that the court would take notice of the issue and sought a report.

Advocates Mudassar Latif Abbasi and Umair Asad appeared for the petitioner. They argued that despite a clear order issued on January 15, 2026, restraining the CDA from cutting trees, the authority had started work on the widening of Ataturk Avenue from D-Chowk to Ayub Chowk.

According to the petition, the project involves large-scale uprooting and what it described as transplantation of mature trees, including in environmentally sensitive areas such as Shakarparian, which the petitioner said falls within the scope of the court’s prohibition.

The petitioner’s counsel also referred to reports, including one published in Dawn, and argued that CDA officials had acknowledged that several trees had already been uprooted and that more removals were planned. The counsel maintained that transplantation in urban areas carries a high risk of tree loss and cannot be cited to sidestep the court’s order.

The petition stated that the CDA’s actions amounted to wilful disobedience of a lawful court order, weakened the authority of the judiciary and infringed citizens’ fundamental right to a clean and healthy environment.

The newly appointed CDA chairman has been made a respondent in the petition. The petitioner has asked the court to initiate contempt proceedings, direct the chairman’s personal appearance and immediately halt the ongoing project.

The plea also sought action against officials allegedly responsible for illegal tree cutting and warned that if work continued, it could cause irreversible environmental harm and make the pending writ petition ineffective.

Following the initial hearing, the court issued notices to all relevant parties and sought their replies before adjourning the case indefinitely.

The matter stems from a writ petition filed on January 15 challenging the legality of deforestation carried out by the CDA in different parts of Islamabad, including Shakarparian. According to that petition, around 29,000 paper mulberry trees were removed across the city in 2025, including about 8,700 in Shakarparian, ostensibly to address pollen-related concerns.

The petitioner argued that the scale and manner of the cutting had left large parts of Shakarparian barren, causing biodiversity loss, rising urban heat, worsening air quality and violating citizens’ fundamental right to a clean and healthy environment.

WWF-Pakistan had also disputed the Islamabad authorities’ position that paper mulberry trees were removed because of increased pollen allergies. In a statement, the organisation said the action was also linked to infrastructure development.