On Sunday, following an order from the Supreme Court in Islamabad, workers demolished the Monal restaurant in Margalla Hills National Park using a hydraulic machine.

The Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) is enforcing the court’s decision and taking control of the Monal and La Montana restaurants to dismantle the structures and restore the area to its natural habitat.

On August 21, the Supreme Court ordered the closure of several restaurants, namely Monal, La Montana and Gloria Jeans, as they were operating in a protected area. In its detailed ruling, the court directed the IWMB to take control of these establishments and asked the Capital Development Authority and the police to assist in the process.

The court had also dismissed the review petitions filed by the restaurants. In a statement, the court described Luqman Ali Afzal, owner of Monal Group of Companies, as someone who had no more rights than an encroacher in the protected area.

Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, in a 13-page order, found that La Montana and Gloria Jeans had completely disregarded the Islamabad Wildlife (Protection, Preservation and Management) Ordinance, 1979.