What happened
Large-scale tree cutting along Shakarparian road in Islamabad has turned four plots of roughly 15 acres near the Lok Virsa museum into what local residents described on Monday as “bald and barren” land, with the Capital Development Authority (CDA) confirming the felling but insisting only paper mulberry was removed. The authority cited a 2023 Supreme Court suo motu order that had designated paper mulberry a severe allergen and mandated its replacement with indigenous species.
The patches, which had previously formed part of a thick forest visible from the Expressway, now expose the road and the surrounding development, with residents saying that gaps between trees in other parts of the forest suggest additional species, including Sheesham, were also cut. The CDA falls under the administrative control of the Interior Ministry.
The CDA’s defence
CDA spokesperson Shahid Kiani told Dawn that trees removed from Shakarparian were exclusively paper mulberry and that the felling had followed due procedure under the Supreme Court order. He said approximately 37 per cent of Islamabad’s population was affected during the March–April pollen season and that the CDA would plant 30,000 indigenous trees to restore the green cover. About the H-8 and Park Road works, Kiani said any trees removed there had been assessed and would be replaced under the authority’s compensatory plantation framework.
What residents and former officials said
Residents Mohammad Kaleem, Shameem Ahmed and Waseem Khan said the cleared area included species other than paper mulberry and challenged the authority to identify a single three-acre patch in Islamabad made up solely of paper mulberry. Former senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan publicly called for a scientific inquiry into the felling, while social media carried widespread criticism. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who had previously directed that one tree at the Shaheen Chowk underpass site be preserved through a road alignment change, had not yet ordered an inquiry by Monday evening. Trees were also reported felled in Park Road, where a dual carriageway and an interchange are being built for the CDA-DHA joint venture Margalla Enclave housing project.
Why it matters
The Shakarparian episode puts the CDA’s compliance with the 2023 Supreme Court paper mulberry order on a collision course with civic scrutiny over the authority’s broader development footprint in the Margalla foothills, with an inquiry now a live demand from residents and former legislators.
Sources & reporting notes
This article is a synthesis of published material, not original reporting. Sources were reviewed on 6 January 2026.
- Dawn (Kashif Abbasi) — Massive tree cutting leaves Shakarparian 'bald, barren'Published 6 January 2026 · Primary reporting from Islamabad on the felling at Shakarparian, H-8 and Park Road, with direct quotes from residents, former senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan and CDA spokesperson Shahid Kiani; underpins every claim about the cleared area and the authority's response.
- Dawn (Newspaper Staff) — Shaheen Chowk underpass to be inaugurated next weekPublished late December 2025 · Provides Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi's earlier statement that road alignment at Shaheen Chowk was changed to preserve a single tree, which residents now contrast with the Shakarparian clearance.
