ISLAMABAD, Jun 11 (APP): The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered closure of all restaurants, including Monal, running in the area of Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP).
A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, in its orders in the petitions filed by Monal Restaurant and the Wildlife Department, directed the authorities to close down all the restaurants within the period of three months as their leases stood terminated.
The court declared that the commercial activities were not allowed in the area of National Park to protect the natural environment.
It further said that the restaurants would have priority if the leases were granted outside the National Park area.
The court observed that all unnecessary notices served to the restaurants running in other areas stood terminated as in the instant case it was focusing only to the extent of MHNP.
During the hearing, Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa asked the lawyer of Monal Restaurant to give a time frame for shifting their infrastructure voluntarily, otherwise, the court would issue orders of its sealing.
The advocate prayed the court to grant a four-month time for the task. The court, however, approved three months for the shifting of Monal Restaurant.
The chief justice remarked that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had also included the Pak-China Friendship Center, Sports Club, Arts Council and National Monument in its report pertaining to the structures in the National Park.
The CJP said that everyone except the CDA knew the names of restaurants operating in the said area.
To a court’s query, the CDA chairman said that 21 incidents of fire eruption had taken place in the MHNP during the current season. He, however, said that a tree plantation campaign in Margalla Hills would be started in the upcoming monsoon season.
