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Ask students of Lahore’s Government College University, Punjab University and the National College of Arts where they go to hang out after class and many will say Nasser Bagh. The pre-Partition park with its lush green trees has long been a popular spot for picnics and protests alike, making it a big part of public life in the ‘city of gardens’.

That explains why residents were shocked to find many of the park’s old trees had been removed for the construction of a parking plaza. Though the government says it is relocating the 123 trees, many people are upset with the park being touched at all.

Environmental activist Abuzar Madhu shared videos from the park. “A public site of memory is being surrendered to concrete and profit,” he said in a video shared to his Instagram account.

“For decades, students, workers, teachers, poets, and movements have gathered here. Nasirbagh has carried the city’s public voice a rare space where Lahore could breathe. Today, its trees are being cut or forcibly shifted to make way for a parking plaza. A public site of memory is being surrendered to concrete and profit,” he wrote, calling on students and teachers from nearby universities to take a stand against the measure and save their “right to breathe”.

One user said the garden was like a “classroom without walls” where he had taken part in study circles. He said seeing the trees cut down broke his heart.

Even the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) took note of what was going on, calling Nasser Bagh’s trees an an “irreplaceable environmental and cultural asset”. They said the felling of these trees showed a disregard for “citizens’ right to a healthy environment” and shows “misplaced priorities” at a time when Pakistan is suffering from an environmental crisis.

Commission member Farah Zia urged Lahoris, who made their displeasure known when a 150-year-old banyan tree was cut down outside Rahat Bakery in Cantt last month, to speak up.

Quoting the HRCP’s post, journalist Diaa Hadid highlighted that Lahore is one of the most polluted cities in the world. The city was ranked the most polluted globally on November 20, with an extremely high air quality index of 386.

She expressed incredulity over a historic garden and mature trees being razed to build a parking lot.

The Lahore High Court expressed concern over the felling of trees in the park on Friday. However, a representative of the Lahore Development Authority assured the court the trees were not being cut down and were instead being transplanted away from the development site.

Marriyum Aurangzeb, who holds the portfolio of minister for environment protection and climate change, said the same thing on X, noting people’s concerns about tree cutting. She shared a video of the transplanting process and said none of the trees had been harmed.

“At the [Nasser] Bagh Parking Plaza, all 123 trees have been safely and professionally transplanted not a single tree was cut. The process adhered to international environmental compliance standards and was fully documented on video for public transparency.

“By moving parking underground and reducing roadside congestion, the project will cut vehicular emissions, improve Lahore’s AQI, and actively combat smog in the city’s historic and cultural heart,” she said.

“Lahore is not losing trees Lahore is gaining forests, while reviving its heritage, culture, and festivals. Citizens, don’t worry your government is fully committed to being environmentally responsible Alhamdullilah.”

Despite their essential nature, green spaces have become increasingly harder to find in Pakistan’s rapidly growing cities. What parks remain are subject to threats from development, encroachment and neglect. It’s a breath of fresh air to see the people of Lahore ‘speaking for the trees’.

Cover photo: Arif Ali/White Star