ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee has voiced serious concern over large scale tree felling across the Islamabad Capital Territory, citing weak coordination among authorities and insufficient compliance with environmental laws. The issue was discussed during a meeting of the Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination held at the Parliament House.

The meeting was chaired by MNA Munaza Hassan and featured a detailed briefing by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination in collaboration with the Capital Development Authority. The committee reviewed the justification, legal grounds and environmental consequences of recent tree cutting, including the removal of paper mulberry and other species in multiple sectors of the federal capital.

Committee members expressed concern over the absence of key stakeholders, including the CDA chairman and the federal and state ministers for climate change. The panel noted that nonattendance by senior officials weakened parliamentary oversight and raised questions about transparency and accountability in environmentally sensitive decisions.

Although the CDA claimed that Islamabad’s overall green cover had increased due to compensatory plantation and transplantation efforts, the committee remained unconvinced. Members stressed that post action assurances could not replace prior planning, proper environmental assessments and statutory approvals, especially in protected zones such as Margalla Hills National Park.

Serious questions were raised about the lack of environmental impact studies before tree removal, cutting in designated brown areas without ecological cost benefit analysis, and poor institutional coordination between the CDA, Pak EPA and other regulators. The committee also showed dissatisfaction over the continued non functional status of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board and the Pakistan Climate Change Authority, warning that gaps in rules and systems were undermining environmental governance.

The committee directed the CDA to submit the Islamabad Master Plan with clear demarcation of green and brown areas supported by satellite imagery. It also sought site wise data on tree removal and reforestation, expert studies justifying paper mulberry removal, and a verification report from the IWMB on activities in sensitive areas. Improved coordination and strict compliance with environmental laws were strongly emphasized.