IHC stops CDA from cutting trees on Ataturk Avenue, seeks replies

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has stopped the Capital Development Authority (CDA) from cutting trees along Ataturk Avenue, from Express Chowk to Aga Khan Road, and has sought replies from the civic body and other respondents.

The order was passed by Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro during hearing of a petition filed by Ayesha Muzaffar, who challenged the ongoing tree cutting linked to a road expansion project on the avenue.

Advocate Mudassar Latif Abbasi appeared for the petitioner and told the court that the CDA was acting in violation of an earlier court order issued on January 15, 2026, in Writ Petition No. 153/2026. According to the petitioner’s counsel, that order had restrained the authority from cutting trees in the federal capital.

During the hearing, Advocate Abbasi argued that the CDA had adopted what he described as an unsustainable method of dealing with traffic by cutting trees and widening roads. He told the court that removing green cover could not resolve traffic problems and said the project involved the felling of more than 55 large trees as well as dozens of smaller ones.

"Opening roads by eliminating green cover is not a solution to traffic issues," the counsel argued before the court.

He also pointed to what he described as a contradiction in government policy, saying that while an environmental levy was being imposed on petrol in the name of conservation, billions of rupees were at the same time being spent on projects that damage the environment.

After hearing the arguments, Justice Soomro restrained the CDA from cutting any trees on the stretch in question. The court also issued notices to the respondents and directed them to file their replies by next Tuesday.

Earlier petition on deforestation

The matter is connected to an earlier petition concerning large-scale tree removal in Islamabad, including in Shakarparian, where thousands of trees, particularly paper mulberry, have been cut in recent years. According to the petition, this has allegedly contributed to environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity and poorer air quality.

The petition states that around 29,000 paper mulberry trees were removed across Islamabad in 2025, including about 8,700 in Shakarparian. It says the removals were ostensibly carried out to address concerns related to pollen.

WWF-Pakistan had also disputed the position of Islamabad authorities on the issue. In a statement, the environmental conservation organisation said the removal of paper mulberry trees was not solely due to an increase in pollen allergies and that the action was also tied to infrastructure development.

The latest order now temporarily halts tree cutting on the specified section of Ataturk Avenue until the court receives responses from the concerned parties.