Islamabad was once famous for its lush greenery. But now many trees are being cut down for roads and monuments. This has made local people very angry. Muhammad Naveed went to court this year to stop what he called “large-scale tree cutting.” He said many mature trees were felled, leaving the land “barren.” The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) blames major development work, including road building and monuments, for cutting trees and natural plants. Between 2001 and 2024, Islamabad lost 14 hectares of tree cover — an area as big as 20 football fields, says Global Forest Watch. Kamran Abbasi, a trader living in Islamabad since the 1980s, told AFP, “It is not the same anymore. Trees are life. Thousands are cut to build one bridge.” The city’s air quality is also getting worse. Pollution is a big problem but trees help by cleaning the air. Muhammad Ibrahim from WWF-Pakistan said, “Forests act as powerful natural filters ... cleaning the air and water, and reducing the overall impact of pollution.” Last month, Islamabad had almost no good air quality days, says IQAir. Officials say they are cutting some trees, like paper mulberry, to reduce pollen allergies. Abdul Razzaq from the Capital Development Authority said, “People suffer from chest infections, asthma and severe allergic reactions. I do too.” The government plans to remove 29,000 trees that produce pollen. But critics say allergies are just an excuse to cut more trees. Experts want better city planning and planting of non-allergic trees. Recently, bulldozers have cleared green areas near highways to build monuments for last May’s brief conflict with India, say WWF and officials. Naveed’s court case is still on. He says there is “no excuse” for this big loss of trees. Authorities say projects follow rules from 1992.