ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) to take over restaurants inside the Margalla Hills National Park including Monal, La Montana, and Gloria Jeans.
In a detailed verdict issued, SC ordered the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Islamabad Capital Territory Police to assist the Wildlife Board in taking over the possession of the said restaurants on September 11, 2024.
The 25-page judgment penned by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa also directed concerned authorities to barricade the entrances and demolish infrastructure with minimal disturbance to the wildlife and avoid damage to the trees of the national park. “The debris will be removed and disposed of properly and not within the precincts of Margalla Hills National Park.”
The detailed judgment of the apex court came after its June 11 verdict ordering the closure of Monal Restaurant along with other eateries located atop picturesque Margalla Hills within three months.
The decision came after a three-member bench, comprising the CJP, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan heard a case in response to a March 11 court order in which it had sought the complete record of the land ownership of the restaurant.
c.p._304_2022_21082024 by geowebdesk
