The Government of Pakistan on Wednesday said it had removed 29,115 “allergenic paper mulberry trees” from across the federal capital in bid to counter seasonal pollen allergies, defending its actions by claiming replacement plantation of indigenous varieties.
In a statement, the center said the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had launched a systematic management of allergenic trees on the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. “A clear roadmap for action was established following a high-level meeting on Nov. 27, 2024, chaired by Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad Malik, Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination,” it said. The roadmap tasked the CDA with executing the removal of paper mulberry trees, and providing “regular progress reports to ensure the mitigation of this severe health challenge.”
The government issued the statement amidst mounting criticism of its tree felling activities, with journalists and citizens alike questioning the removal of green cover in recent months.
According to the statement, the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination conducted the exercise in close collaboration with the CDA with an aim to completely eradicate the allergenic species. “This methodology involved cutting the trees, uprooting the entire root system, and refilling the soil to prevent any future regrowth,” it said, emphasizing that the removal solely targeted the “invasive” paper mulberry trees. “No indigenous or non-allergenic tree species were disturbed during this campaign, and the subsequent restoration efforts focus solely on the replacement of the uprooted paper mulberry units in designated areas,” it added.
The eradication drive, per the statement, covered all major sectors and green areas of Islamabad. “Large-scale removal was carried out in F-9 Park (12,800 trees) and Shakarparian (8,700 trees). In urban sectors, 2,965 paper mulberry trees were cleared from G-10, G-11, F-10, F-11, D-12, and along Srinagar Highway, while additional removals included 1,405 trees in G-8, 839 in G-9, 490 in F-8, 1,142 in H-8, and 534 in H-9,” it said.
The center maintains that the campaign has now shifted to an “ambitious and sustainable green restoration” strategy, planting three new environment-friendly, indigenous trees for every allergenic tree removed. “In line with this policy, 40,000 indigenous and environment-friendly large trees have already been planted on sites cleared for paper mulberry,” it said, adding this included fruit-bearing and pine species. “The drive has been greatly augmented by public-private partnerships, with the company MIRA Power Limited contributing 3,000 indigenous saplings and the Beaconhouse School System planting an additional 5,000 trees in the F-9 area,” it said.
The government has also issued a tender for 18,000 additional large-size indigenous trees through a partnership with OGDCL to further strengthen the restoration drive. In Shakarparian alone, it states, 81 acres of land across three sites have been leveled and prepared, with pit-digging currently underway for the upcoming planting season. The entire project, from eradication to final replantation, will be concluded by the end of April 2026.
Defending the removal of the paper mulberry trees, the statement claims the Allergy Center Islamabad has found a “substantial improvement in masses’ health.” Citing records, it says 16,250 patients were vaccinated for pollen and paper mulberry allergies in 2023, with this number declining to 14,747 in 2024, and 12,449 by the end of 2025. “The impact was most evident in the final months of 2025, where monthly vaccination numbers plummeted to just 512 in November and 519 in December, a sharp decrease from the 1,164 and 1,141 cases recorded in the same months of 2023,” it said, adding this was “clear evidence” the government’s action had directly resulted in cleaner air and a healthier, more sustainable future for the citizens of Islamabad.