F-9 Park upgrade: 'not a single tree will be cut', Mohsin Naqvi says; new lake, lights and cafes planned

No tree will be cut and no new concrete structure will be built in Islamabad's F-9 Park during its upgrade, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Sunday 25 October 2026. "Let me make it absolutely clear that not a single tree will be cut, 100% guaranteed," he wrote on X, ProPakistani reported; Dawn also carried the assurance.

What is planned for F-9 Park

Fatima Jinnah Park, as F-9 Park is officially called, covers roughly 400 acres in the middle of the capital. The upgrade Naqvi described includes:

• better lighting across the park;
• a new lake;
• coffee shops;
• improved walkways;
• thousands of new trees.

He said the aim was to make the park greener, safer and more enjoyable for families. The government has not published a design, a cost or a timetable, and has not said whether any part of the park will close during the work.

Why he had to say it

Naqvi announced on 21 October that the government was rebuilding F-9 Park and would develop four more parks in Islamabad on its model. Within days, environmental activists and schoolteachers posted Instagram videos asking the authorities not to develop the park for the sake of it and to plant trees instead.

The worry has history. In 2023 the Capital Development Authority began removing about 7,000 paper mulberry trees from F-9 Park because of their pollen, which drives Islamabad's spring allergy season, and later told the Supreme Court that replanting was under way. Earlier this year the government also announced a new forest in Islamabad larger than F-9 Park.

What residents can watch for

The pledge is specific: no trees felled and no new concrete. The new lake and cafes will need some construction, so the detail to look for when plans are published is where those go and how much green space they take. Islamabad residents who use the park for walks and jogging can raise concerns with the CDA, which manages the capital's parks.

More news from the capital is in our Pakistan section. Looking for a property in the sectors around the park? Our plot size converter turns kanals and marlas into square feet.