The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has launched a large-scale drive to remove Paper Mulberry trees in Islamabad and replace them with native species, following expert findings that the trees are a major trigger of severe pollen allergies and asthma in the capital.
Scientific studies have long linked Paper Mulberry pollen to dangerous spikes in respiratory illnesses every spring. Acting on a Public Interest Litigation, the Islamabad High Court set up a technical committee of specialists to examine the issue.
The committee unanimously advised that Paper Mulberry should be phased out and substituted with indigenous, environmentally friendly trees.
That recommendation was later endorsed at the highest levels. The Supreme Court backed the removal plan through its own expert body formed by the then Chief Justice of Pakistan, while the Prime Minister’s Office also issued directions in support of the initiative.
According to officials, the operation is being carried out under strict supervision to ensure that only Paper Mulberry trees are cut and that no other species are affected.
To compensate for the loss of tree cover, CDA has committed to a three-for-one replacement policy: for every Paper Mulberry removed, three native trees will be planted. A tender has already been floated for the plantation of 20,000 indigenous trees, and all cleared sites are scheduled to be replanted in Spring 2026.
The same CDA is trying to replace paper mulberry trees with native species for the last twenty years.. These are just hallow claims which disappear after a news is shared. Our so called media also fails to take such pathetic public sector white elephants to task and ask what happened to couple of dozen previous such drives.