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ISLAMABAD, Jan 13 (APP):Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik said the Capital Development Authority (CDA) will plant three trees for every one cut, while the Ministry of Climate Change will launch additional plantation drives across Islamabad.
He stated this during a media briefing on the occasion of his field visit to Shakarparian on Tuesday to review the ongoing process of paper mulberry tree cutting and the plantation of indigenous species. During the visit, the minister inspected the removal of paper mulberry trees and assessed the progress of reforestation efforts using native plants.
Dr Musadik Malik said that the cutting of paper mulberry trees in Shakarparian was carried out only after scientific identification and assessment. He warned that strict action would be taken if negligence or any violation of the law was found at any stage of the process.
The minister directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a complete tree count and collect comprehensive data.
He said that a public hearing had been held at F-9 Park and that its minutes had been called for. He also sought complete details of all public hearings conducted across Islamabad.
Emphasizing transparency, Dr Malik said that public hearings are a fundamental right of citizens and added that the EPA has been given clear instructions to ensure that all actions are taken strictly in accordance with the law. He further stated that construction projects failing to meet environmental requirements would be issued show-cause notices.
The federal minister announced that visits would be conducted to all affected sites in Islamabad. He clarified that tree cutting and plantation fall under the jurisdiction of the CDA, while the core mandate of the Ministry of Climate Change is environmental protection and oversight.
He further revealed that amendments are being made to environmental laws to increase the upper limit of fines for environmental violations, which currently stands at Rs1 million. The ministry, he said, does not have the direct mandate to cut or plant trees, but monitoring and oversight remain its responsibility.
Reiterating the government’s commitment, the minister said there would be no compromise on the protection of Islamabad’s green cover, adding that environmental protection remains a serious and sustained priority of the government.