ISLAMABAD: Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Tuesday informed the Senate that Islamabad had become greener than before, as 46,000 trees had been planted following the removal of 26,000 paper mulberry trees. Responding to a point raised regarding the alleged cutting of trees in the federal capital, the minister said that all road and infrastructure projects in Islamabad were being executed strictly in accordance with the Islamabad Master Plan approved in 1960. The minister said that all claims could be independently verified through Google satellite imagery, which clearly reflected Islamabad’s green character over different time periods. Replying to a question raised by Senator Syed Ali Zafar, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry explained that paper mulberry (wild mulberry) trees were introduced in Islamabad in the 1970s through aerial seeding to rapidly create greenery, but the species was not indigenous to the area. DNA
