Supreme Court Upholds Closure of Margalla Hills Restaurants
Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, a three-judge bench comprising Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan had taken up a set of petitions moved by the Monal Group of Companies, the Capital View Point Restaurant (La Montana), Sunshine Heights (Pvt) Ltd, and by Brig retired Falak Naz Bangash of the defense ministry.
The decision reserved on September 6 was pronounced by the Supreme Court today. The apex court upheld its decision to close Monal restaurant, Sunshine Heights, and La Montana restaurant
The Supreme Court through its March 21 judgment had ordered the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to file a list of leases in the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP). Later, the Supreme Court office issued notices to the petitioners on April 22, 2024, and then passed an order on June 11, in which the court declared all such allotments contrary to the provisions of the Islamabad Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation, and Management) Ordinance 1979.
On August 15, the Supreme Court (SC) issued a contempt of court notice to Malik Luqman Ali Afzal, the owner of the Monal Restaurant, located at Margalla Hills.
Hearing a case related to commercial activities at Margalla Hills National Park, CJP Justice Qazi Faez Isa remarked, that the owner of the restaurant assured the court about the closure of the hotel, but now he is doing ‘propaganda’ against justice on TV.
Why he did not appear before court today, the CJP asked. Ali Afzal should give jobs to the staff of the restaurant to his other eateries, the top judge remarked.
