The Minister of State for National Health Services, Dr Mukhtar Ahmad Malik, briefed the Senate Standing Committee chaired by Senator Sherry Rehman on a citywide drive to tackle Islamabad’s severe seasonal pollen crisis by targeting invasive Paper Mulberry.
Introduced between the 1960s and 1980s, Broussonetia papyrifera now accounts for about 94 percent of the capital’s pollen burden, the Minister said, noting that Islamabad recorded up to 82,000 pollen grains per cubic metre in 2022. The light, deep‑penetrating pollen from Paper Mulberry is linked to severe allergic rhinitis, acute asthma exacerbations and life‑threatening status asthmaticus.
Describing the programme as a public health and environmental intervention, Dr Malik said the ecological restoration effort is projected to reduce respiratory allergies in Islamabad by over 40 percent, significantly easing pressure on hospitals and emergency departments during peak seasonal outbreaks.
Data from the NIH Allergy Center presented to the Committee showed measurable improvement after targeted uprooting: late‑year allergy cases fell from more than 2,300 in 2023 to 1,031 in 2025, and overall allergy prevalence declined from 45.8 percent in 2023 to 33.3 percent in 2025 despite population growth, indicating reduced per‑capita risk.
To prevent aggressive resprouting, the Ministry and the Capital Development Authority are following a strict three‑step eradication protocol of cutting, complete uprooting of the root system and soil compaction. Of roughly 80,000 Paper Mulberry trees identified for removal across Islamabad, 29,115 have been cleared so far with priority work in high‑density areas such as F‑9 Park and Shakarparian.
Ecological restoration remains central to the effort under a 3:1 policy that plants three indigenous trees for every Paper Mulberry removed. By April 2026, about 90,000 native trees including Kachnar, Amaltas, Desi Toot and drought‑resilient Pilkan will have been planted to rebuild the capital’s natural ecosystem. The initiative is supported through public‑private partnerships with OGDCL, MIRA Power and Beaconhouse.
Dr Malik told the Committee the programme follows international best practices in urban environmental health governance as seen in countries such as the United States and Australia, and that completion in line with approved technical protocols by April 2026 should deliver sustained control of seasonal pollen levels and a measurable fall in pollen‑related allergic and respiratory illnesses across the federal capital.
